Girls Gone South!
by Kayleigh Cullen1918
Summary: When romance writer Bella Swan finds a letter from her husband saying he's leaving her, Bella decides to take action. She's going to get healthy and get happy. When she recieves a letter to say her divorce is final, she and her two best friends head south to find some fun, booze and sexy cowboys. A sweet grandmother, a buisness man, a mechanic and a vet change their lives forever.
1. Chapter 1

**Girls Gone South!**

**A/N**** Okay, so I'm in the middle of one story, The Hunters Heart, when I get this idea and it just won't go away. A story of three friends heading south for a girls vacation. I was talking to my sister and all these thoughts and idea's kept buzzing around in my head and though I still have to finish my other story, I needed to put this one up. I'm still continuing with The Hunters Heart, but not I have this one as well. Probably not a good idea to start another story when I have one on the go, but ah well. Let me know what you think.**

**BPOV**

"That son of a bitch!"

I couldn't help but chuckle through my tears at one of my best friends' passionate outburst.

"Calm down, Alice," I mumbled into my tissue as I blew my nose loudly. It was my second box of the night.

"Yeah, Alice, calm down," Rosalie, my other best friend, agreed with me as she stroked my hair back from my eyes. "There's no point in getting ourselves worked up."

I smiled gratefully at Rosalie for being level headed whilst Alice jumped to her feet and glared down at the beautiful blond that sat next to me on my couch.

"What?" She snapped as she shoved her hands on her tiny hips and glared down at us, fire spitting from her eyes. It was a typical Alice pose. She looked like an angry Tinkerbell.

Completely unperturbed my Alice's tone, Rosalie shrugged her shoulder's gracefully. "Why upset ourselves over that little prick? I say we go over to his and key his oh so expensive car," she grinned evilly.

While I rolled my eyes, knowing that I should have seen her reaction coming, Alice beamed down at her before high-fiving Rosalie enthusiastically.

Sniffling, I looked at my friends. They were both wonderful and extremely over protective of each other. Of course they would be out for blood.

I had met Alice Brandon and Rosalie Hale on the very first day of Kindergarten. I had stood there alone, crying because I hadn't wanted my mother to leave me when Rosalie had come skipping over to me and asked if I'd like to play. Alice had seen us and ditched the children she was playing with to come and play with us. The next day I ran into my classroom without a second glance at my mother, eager to see my new friends.

The three of us were inseparable since that day. Some days it had felt like it was the three of us against the world. I had always liked that feeling.

Alice was small, tiny even. She reminded everyone of a pixie with her short, black, spiky hair, sparkling big blue eyes and fully red lips. She was funny, smart, kind and creative. She had more energy than anyone I had ever met and made even the worst of day's fun.

Rosalie was the opposite of Alice. She was tall, with luscious golden blond hair and classic features that could rival Aphrodite herself. Her smoky blue eyes made men think of steamy nights on satin sheets. Her body every woman's dream and envy.

Rosalie was strong and confident, but she was also kind and sweet. A side that only her closest friends ever got to see.

While both were extremely beautiful, they also had brains. Alice was a fashion designer; everyone from Katy Perry to Reese Whitherspoon was dying to get their hands on an Alice Brandon original.

Alice had worked hard over the years, sacrificing boyfriends and her social life in the hopes of making her dream into a reality.

Rosalie, though she could have easily been a model in Alice's line, had followed her family's footsteps and earned her law degree. Now, one of the most sought after Defense Attorneys in the city, Rosalie barely had time for herself, never mind a relationship.

In school books had been my world. I loved the romance, the adventure, the mystery and even the heart break that was in each of the books I obsessed over. If I wasn't reading, I was writing, putting my own stories onto paper. Never without a pen and a piece of paper I must have gotten through a notepad a week. I still had them stored away in my parent's attic.

Like my friends, I had managed to turn my dream into a reality and was now a Romance novelist and while I wasn't on the New York Bestsellers list, I was happy with my small following of fans that gave me a comfortable lifestyle and let me continue writing as my occupation.

While we were like sisters, due to our schedules, it had been over a month since our conversations weren't over the phone or through email.

My only wish that our long awaited reunion could have been due to a better situation.

No, the reason for our reunion was sitting right in front of me. It was strange how a piece of paper, something I never went anywhere without, could suddenly become the very thing that tore my world down around me.

It was a letter from my husband, informing me that not only did he not love me anymore, but he was filing for a divorce and moving in with the woman he had been sleeping with behind my back for months.

Alice was right, I thought. "Son of a bitch."

"You said it, sister!" Alice all but cheered as she glared down at the piece of paper as if she wished she could beat it to a bloody pulp.

"Tell us everything, Bella," Rosalie ordered as she gave Alice a warning glance.

I looked into the kind, compassionate eyes of my best friends, my sisters in every way but blood, and found myself telling them everything.

"I knew something was wrong," I mumbled. "He had been distant for a while. I thought it was just because he was so eager to finish his next book, I shrugged it off," I lied miserably, hating myself for not forcing the issue.

"That's Jake's fault, Bella, not yours," Rosalie said earnestly. Alice nodded in agreement as she moved to sit on the opposite side of me, wrapping her arm around my shoulder, silently showing support.

I had met Jacob Black in my senior year at NYC, he had transferred from a small town in Washington and hadn't been used to the fast pace of the city. I had offered to show him around and help catch him up in class and that was that.

Jacob was tall, muscular, with dark eyes and long dark hair. His wire framed glasses had made him look cute in a nerdish kind of way that some girls liked and his Native American heritage gave him a deep tan that I had always envied. He was sweet and shy and seemed to like me for me.

Out of my group of friends, I was the most normal looking. Dark brown hair and brown eyes with pale skin, I wasn't exactly memorable. It didn't help that whilst my friends had fantastic bodies and could wear a garbage bag and still pull it off, I had always been on the heavy side.

As a child it had been shrugged off as 'puppy fat', and after that I had been 'chubby'. I had always struggled with my weight and secretly worried over ever meeting the right man and having the type of love I read about, and wrote about, so often.

Jake hadn't seemed to see my weight, though. He had called me 'curvaceous' and said that he loved my body. I had believed him.

After we had finished school, we had become more serious and gotten married a year after graduation. We had moved into a small apartment in the village and worked small jobs as we both tried to become published.

I had been the first to have a published book. My friends, as well as Jake, had been over the moon. Soon after, Jake had also gotten his first book published. It had seemed like fate, not only were we happily married but our dreams had come true.

It had changed over time, though. Jake was known for his thrillers that were dark and gritty and I was known for my comedic romances. I had never minded, I had liked the fact that our genres seemed to be the polar opposite of each other. After a while though, Jake began to point out that my books were 'fanciful'' and not as 'believable' as his.

It hadn't bothered me, at first. It was when Jake's book had gotten listed as a New York Bestseller that thing's really began to change. Or, to be more correct, Jake had begun to change. Suddenly, our small apartment wasn't good enough for him. The friends we had weren't smart enough or talented enough for him. And, after a while, it had become clear to me that I wasn't good enough for him.

As Jake became more distant, and critiqued my work, I developed a lower self-confidence. Before I had been chubby, but comfortable with it. I had insecurities, but what woman didn't?

But when Jake began to pull away, and when he started to put down what I worked so hard to get, I began to comfort myself with fast food and ice cream.

It had gotten particularly bad when Jake had come home one night smelling of another woman's perfume. I had wanted to confront him. I had wanted to scream at him. I had wanted to beg him to tell me that it wasn't true, but I did none of it. I pretended it wasn't happening. I didn't want to believe that Jake, my Jake, could do such a thing.

To be honest, I was also afraid of what would happen if he confirmed it. I was afraid that he would leave me and I would be all alone. So, I continued on as if we were happy. As if it didn't kill me whenever he would walk in late at night smelling of another woman.

I had lied to my friends whenever they asked, I had lied to my family and I had lied to myself.

Deciding it was time for me to start being honest, I admitted the truth. "That's a lie," I muttered. "I knew he was seeing another woman."

"What?!" They bother demanded in unison.

"Why didn't you throw him out? Why aren't you the one filing for divorce?" Rosalie demanded angrily.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Alice whispered; hurt filling her eyes at the thought of me hiding something so big from them.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, a wave of fresh tears flowing down my cheeks. "I didn't want it to be true and if I told you then it would be. I didn't want to be alone," I shrugged.

"Bella," they both whispered gently.

"I know," I smiled through my tears. "It's stupid. I have you, I have my work, and I have my family. It's just that... I thought he loved me. Even when it should have been so obvious that he didn't, I still thought he did. I thought that if I was more talented or more beautiful, then maybe I would be enough."

"Bastard's like Jacob Black can never get enough," Alice spat.

"He wasn't always a bastard, though." I pointed out.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Maybe not when we were younger. Maybe not when he had nothing. It was when he had attention, success, that he showed who he truly was, Bella. He is a bastard and I don't want you sitting here, crying, because of who he pretended to be."

Alice nodded. "She's right, honey. Jake used to be a sweetheart, but he hasn't been for a long time. He's changed. Or maybe, like Rosalie said, he was just showing who he truly was." She frowned as she thought of what she had said before nodding. "It's true. I don't think anything can really change who a person is deep down."

"You're too good for him, Bella." Rosalie added.

"Not to him," I pointed out, leaning forward to grab the letter that still lay face down on my coffee table.

I looked down at Jake's elegant scrawl and forced myself to read his parting words to me.

Isabella,

I know this may come as a shock to you, but for me it has been a long time coming. When we were younger, we could fool ourselves, but not anymore. We do not work, Isabella. We have not for a long time.

For the longest time, I have felt as if I were drowning. I felt as if you were dragging me down to your level and I cannot let that continue.

We are not on the same level, Isabella. I wanted to be, I thought that maybe, with my help, I could pull you up, but I cannot fight the inevitable. I need more, Isabella.

I need someone who can challenge me, excite me. You have not for a long time. I am serious about my writing, where you are happy to write frivolous romance novels. I want to be successful while you are happy to remain where you are.

I regret to have to tell you this way, but I have met someone else. She is beautiful and smart and has fire and ambition, something that you are lacking. I need those things in my life and have decided to put myself first for a change and do what is going to make me happy for once.

I'm sorry Isabella, but I cannot lie, I cannot pretend any longer. I do not love you and I have not for quite some time. It just took me a while to gather the courage to tell you as we do have a history and I thought you deserved that much respect.

I have left you this note in the hopes of sparing you're feelings and in hopes of ending things without any drama or fanfare.

I am leaving you, Isabella. I am leaving to be with Leah and start my life afresh without the constraints that you always put on me.

I hope that you one day find happiness.

Jacob.

"I honestly thought he couldn't sound any more like a prick," Rosalie muttered as she snatched the paper out of my hands to glare at the paper in the same way Alice had.

"Tell me about it," Alice muttered as she returned from the kitchen with a bottle of wine and three glasses and began pouring each of us a generous glass.

"He makes out like this is your doing, like he's doing you a favor by leaving a fucking note. Coward! And calling you Isabella? No one calls you that. He never used to call you that. How could he do this?" Rosalie snarled. "Not only does he admit to cheating, but he also put down you're work, the little bitch."

"Its complete bullshit," Alice fumed. "You're books are amazing, Bella. I have read everything you've ever wrote and I love them."

"You may be just a little biased, Alice," I laughed as I drank my wine.

Alice rolled her eyes. "I am not. Besides, tons of people, celebrities included who have asked if they can get me a signed copy of your books." She pointed out smugly.

I frowned. With all the things that had happened, I had forgotten that. As Jake had won awards and the critiques respect, I had secretly become more and more insecure about my own work. I had worried that maybe it was as frivolous as Jake pointed out towards the end. I had been so worried about not getting onto the bestsellers lists that I had forgotten the lists that I had gotten onto.

"You're right."

"I know," she smiled.

"Bella, you're books are wonderful. They make you laugh, they make you cry and they make you believe that maybe, just maybe, there is a person out there that is just for you. I know that's how I feel when I read your words," Rosalie murmured, almost absently as she re-read the letter.

I shared a glance with Alice that spoke volumes. Out of all of us, Rosalie was the one who had always avoided attachments. Avoided love. While Alice was sure she'd meet 'The One', Rosalie scoffed about it. She said that if she ever did meet the right guy, he would be a lawyer, smart, ruthless and good looking. Since she had never met a man that fit the bill up to her standards, she didn't bother with love.

I just hoped that while Rosalie waited for the guy who checked off all the boxes, she wouldn't pass over the one who would cherish her for the amazing woman she was.

"What pisses me off is that people think that to be a serious writer you have to write about war, and drugs and Russian mobs," Alice rolled her eyes. "I would rather read a good romance any day."

Rosalie nodded. "The things I see in my work, the things I hear about, the last thing I want to read is about some dude getting his nails pried off for information. Life is bleak enough as it is, thank you very much. I want to read something that gives me hope that makes me smile, not something that makes me cringe."

I couldn't help but smile at my friends. They were so supportive of me. They were my safety net. They were the people who I knew would always be there, would always have my back.

"What am I going to do?" I whispered.

Finally, Rosalie looked up from the paper, turning to face me with serious eyes. "First things first, we have to be logical. Jake has been with other women. Maybe it is just this Leah, but most likely there's been more. You have to get tested."

When I stiffened, hating the thought, Alice rubbed a soothing hand on my back. "She's right, honey. You have to be smart about this. The first thing we need to make sure is that you're healthy."

I felt the blush heat my cheeks. "Jake and I haven't had sex for a while," I grumbled.

Rosalie nodded, finding the news relieving. "Good, but we still have to make sure."

I nodded, knowing that it was true. I had to be safe, not stupid.

"Good," she nodded. "Let me know the day and I'll come with you if you'd like."

"Me, too," Alice added.

"Guys, you have work. Big, important work that you can't just back out of."

"I don't care," Alice said firmly. "You need us and that what's important."

I looked from her to Rosalie and saw that there was no way I could get them to change their minds. I did need them. I didn't want to go alone. I also knew that if it were the other way round there would be no way in hell that they could stop me from being there to support them when they needed me most.

"Okay, Bella, what next?" Rosalie asked, looking at me.

"What?" I demanded in confusion.

"What else do you want to do, you idiot?" She chuckled.

"Oh," I replied.

I thought about the last few months of my marriage and then looked down at the piece of paper that had ended it. No, I corrected myself, Jake had ended this.

Whether or not I was what Jake wanted, whether he considered my work as important as his, or whether I didn't look the way he wanted, Jake had promised to love me no matter what. He had promised to love me, respect me and cherish me in sickness and in health and he had broken that vow.

He couldn't respect me. He put down my works, my words, my very heart and soul and said that in comparison to his, they were nothing. He slept with other women. He was with one of them right now. I had to go and get a STD check because I couldn't trust the fact that he had been careful. They he had even been loyal. No Jake did not respect me.

He couldn't love or cherish me. After being together for six years he had left with nothing but a note. It wasn't long enough to be considered a letter. My bank sent me account balances with my length and depth than the note that Jake had chosen to end out marriage did.

Jake cheated on me; he disrespected not only me, but my work, my friends and our life together. He made me feel so insecure about myself.

I looked down at the sweat's I wore. The one's Jake had said made me look puffy and felt fury spread though me for the first time in months.

He left without a word. Just a fucking note.

There was no excusing that. There was no explaining that. Jake didn't love me. But more than that, he didn't deserve me. For so long, I had tried to be what and who he wanted. To be the woman he thought he had married, when really he should have tried to be the man I married.

"Well, for starters," I snarled as I snatched the letter from Rosalie's hands and tossed it into the fire.

I stood there for the longest moment and watched it burn. The entire time I kicked myself for letting myself fall so low that I couldn't see the light.

Why was I here sobbing over Jake when he was exactly what Rosalie had said he was? A prick.

He cheated, he lied, he put down everything I had worked for, everything I still worked for and I was sitting around crying over him? No way in hell.

Turning back to my friends, I told them what I wanted.

"I want to file for divorce. I was afraid before. I was afraid of being alone. Afraid of being a romance writer who couldn't make her own marriage work, but you know what? Jake's a dick. I don't want a man, any man, if they don't love me. If that cherish me. If they don't respect me. Hell, I don't want a man who won't look at me and know how Goddamn lucky he is to have me." I ranted breathlessly as my friends cheered me on.

"What else, Bella?" Alice laughed.

"I want to cut back a little. I want to lost the weight I put on while Jake was dicking around with other women because I was miserable and waiting up with him. I want to look, and be, fit and fabulous." I smiled, feeling confidence and determination wash over me.

Rosalie frowned. "You're doing this for yourself, right? I mean, you're beautiful no matter what you weigh, you always will be. I just don't want you doing this for him."

I shook my head firmly. "I meant what I said Rosalie. I won't have a man who doesn't see how lucky he is to have me love him. I refuse to do that ever again. I'm doing this for me. Isn't that what those diet people are always saying?" I joked.

My friends just shrugged; obviously still worried that I was secretly hoping that by losing weight that somehow Jake would love me.

"I'm doing this for me," I repeated. "I'm doing this because I want everything I can get out of life. I want to be able to get my confidence back. I want to walk into a bar and not worry over what I look like. I haven't been able to do that for a long time. Maybe getting healthier won't change that, but it's a good place to start."

Rosalie looked into my eyes for the longest moment before grinning. Bouncing to her feet, she joined me by the fire place, handed me my glass of wine. "I'm with you, Bella. I'll be here. Whether it's someone to call at one in the morning when you need a chocolate fix or someone to yell at you to move your ass when you go for a run, I'm your girl," she laughed.

"No way!" Alice argued as she joined us. "I am totally your girl. I have done Pilates, Kickboxing, Jazzercise and many more. I am your girl!"

Rosalie scoffed. "You've done one session. I don't think you ever went back and I remember the yoga incident. You said if you ever even saw a 'Downward facing dog' you'd call a vet to have it put down."

"I'm a searcher, Rose. I search."

"Is that what they call giving in these days?" She teased.

Alice just stuck her tongue out. "Hey, I have another idea!" She announced, her eyes sparkling. "We should set a date. A date for when you want to be at your goal weight and most confident, and then me, you and Rosie over here can take a long overdue vacation. Anywhere you want to go," she grinned.

It took a moment for me to think of somewhere I would like to go. Over the years we had gone to exotic beaches, with glitzy nightclubs and cute guys practically naked on the beach. Since meeting Jake those trips had stopped and whilst part of me wanted to hit the nearest beach, I wanted something different for this trip.

"Oh, God, I'm not going to like this, am I?" Rosalie groused when she saw my smile.

"You know how I have always had a thing for cowboys?" I asked, smiling brightly.

Alice scowled. "Bella, a vacation, if you have the funds, should be done right. That includes beaches, alcohol, cute guys in nothing but swim shorts and did I mention beaches? I don't think hanging out with some sweaty cowboy and farm animals really fall into that category, do you?" She demanded.

I couldn't help but smile at her smugly. "You said wherever I wanted to go," I sang.

Alice glared while Rosalie snickered. "We don't know anything about the South!" She snapped. "We're city girls. If we get a flat tire, we don't change it, we call the AA. I don't ride a horse, I ride the subway and I'm okay with that. We've never even been camping!"

"Alice, we're going south, not being stranded in the middle of nowhere," Rosalie laughed.

"Same thing," she snapped. "I am so going making you regret this, Bella," she vowed. "You just wait and see the hell I put you through when you're doing reverse squat lunges, Bella. You just wait," she repeatedly darkly.

Reverse squat lunges? My thighs hurt just thinking about it.

"You're on," I replied with more confidence than I felt.

"So?" Rosalie spoke up, sensing that our little battle was over. "What's the date?"

"The day I get the papers to finalize my divorce. I think it's a good day to celebrate the future, don't you?" I smiled.

The girls nodded. "Definitely."

I raised my glass. "To new beginnings, realizing I am so much better off without Jacob Black and to going down South to see some hot cowboys."

The girls just laughed. "To girls going south," Alice giggled.

Rosalie smiled. "That's less of a mouthful, I supposed.

"To girls gone south."

**A/N**** Well, there you have it. The first chapter. Let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**** Hi guys! Thanks for the adds and the reviews, I loved them! Here is the next chapter; I will be trying to get out the next chapter for THH before I start on chapter 3, though, just to give you a heads up, lol.**

**Let me know what you think!**

**BPOV**

Alice wasn't lying when she said I would pay for making her go south for our vacation.

Over the next few weeks as I met with divorce lawyers and made arrangements to officially end my marriage to Jake, I spent every spare moment exercising and eating more healthy than I had in years.

It wasn't always easy, I found as I made my way down the supermarket aisles once a week. I wanted greasy foods, sugary foods, fatty foods and I couldn't. I wouldn't let myself.

Neither would my friends.

_"Stop complaining, Bella," Alice snapped as she place bottles of mineral water into my shopping cart._

_"I can't help it," I moaned as I caressed a three liter bottle of Coca Cola. "It's so beautiful in all it fizzy glory."_

_Rosalie just snickered as she picked up a bottle of strawberry flavored water. "This will help with those 'fizzy glory' cravings."_

_"It's not the same," I muttered as I continued to stroke the bottle._

_"Bella, can you not caress the bottles please. Your starting to scare the other customers," she whispered with a smile on her face as she glanced around at the couple who were watching me with a frown on their faces._

_"Let them be scared," I snapped as I turned to glare at them. "Oh, they're alright to judge. They have two of these babies in their cart," I scowled at them until they turned away and continued down the aisle._

_My friend's just laughed when I turned back happily and continued to caress the bottle of Coke, wanting just one little taste..._

_"No," my friends snapped in unison as they dragged me away from the drinks aisle._

_"You have your treat day two weeks ago. You can wait another two weeks and then you can hook yourself up to a Coke IV," Rosalie promised._

_"Don't think I won't," I mumbled as I turned to give the wonderful drinks one last parting glance._

I had to admit I had pretty awesome friends. Not only did they make sure I didn't get thrown out of the supermarket from cracking open a can of Sprite, or a truck load if it, but they also worked out with me, spending what precious spare time they had to help me.

_"Come on, Bella, move that ass!" Rosalie yelled from in front of me._

_Central Park in the middle of a nice summer day was beautiful. Central Park at six in the morning and raining... not so beautiful. _

_"I can't breathe," I panted as I trudged along behind my much fitter and faster friends._

_"Come on, Bella," Alice sang. She was enjoying my agony way too much._

_"You wait until I reach my target. I'm going to throw you into the most kick town I can find and marry you off to a man to a man who lost his virginity to his cousin!" I yelled._

_"That's soo stereotypical," she laughed. _

_"It was you who said that to me!" I snapped back._

_Alice turned to face me, jogging backwards with such grace that I wanted to push her over. Here I was, sweating, panting and looking like I should have been an extra in a horror movie._

_"But, I've been reading all those trashy romance novels where the city girl moves to the country and wins the heart of the stony hearted cowboy. Oh, and I read this one, Lawless! The man annoyed me to no end and he certainly didn't deserve to win the girl after he forgot her birthday, flirted with that actress and even kissed her after they had slept together. I don't care if you did do it to get some guy off her back and it was only acting. You don't do that, asshole!" She ranted. _

_Alice got into books as much as I did. In school we would switch books and rant about them over lunch while Rosalie, who had never been much into books, would listen avidly, enjoying the drama that she didn't have to spend days reading because her friends could fill her in. _

_"I don't get why you would want to go to the country after that book," Rosalie said. "If he's such an ass why would you want a man like him?"_

_Alice rolled her eyes dramatically, still jogging backwards. "Because he loved her, he was just an idiot about it. Most men are, you know," she added, a wise expression on her face._

_"No, Alice, I had no idea," I replied sarcastically._

_Alice, being Alice, just stuck her tongue out before turning around. "Come on, Bella. Another ten minutes and then we can do those reverse squat lunges you love so much!"_

_"I hate you!" I spat._

_Alice and Rosalie just laughed as they jogged in front, shouting back encouragements to keep me motivate me and to keep me from crashing to the wet ground. I doubted I would have had the energy to get up for a long time._

I hadn't given up. I had jogged and did those Godforsaken lunges and even though I didn't do them as fast or as well as the girls, I did them. Even if I did crash to the floor every five seconds, begging them to put me out of my misery. Instead of letting me give in, the girls would cheer me on, yell at me, and promise me all the Coke in the world if I finished it.

As much as I enjoyed eating celery sticks in the movies and salads were now considered my everyday meal, I loved my treat day.

I had once read in a book that when the leading male was younger, and a little bit on the heavy side, his father had come in and said enough was enough. He said that the boy could eat whatever he wanted only one day a month and on the others he had to exercise and eat healthy. I had developed a crush on the leading male and thought it was a good idea. Not only did I get one awesome day out of the month where I could eat myself silly, but I had enough time to develop a sense of control.

Of course, on my treat day, my control went out the window.

_"Bella, you're going to make yourself sick!" Rosalie laughed as I ate a supersize chocolate bar with gusto._

_We were in the middle of our hair appointments at the salon, each of us having the day free to eat shop and have fun. Whether we went out dancing, or to the movies, or even went to a trashy diner where I could bite into a cheeseburger, we all went out and had a good time._

_"Can you stop that," Alice laughed as I moaned with every bite._

_"I can't, it's so good!" I moaned making the hair stylists laugh._

_"If you sound like that when you're eating chocolate, I hate to think of the sounds you make when you're having sex," Rosalie muttered dryly._

_"I haven't sounded anything like that in years," I replied causing us all to burst into hysterics._

_That night Alice, Rosalie and I sat in my living room eating Chinese food and watching horror movies._

_"Now, this is how you do a movie. Not nasty celery sticks," I muttered in disgust._

_"They're not that bad," Alice replied as she bit into her beef chow Mein__._

_"Yes they are," Rosalie and I answered in unison._

_We spent the rest of the night eating, laughing and making fun of the too stupid to live women on the television screen who were too busy making out with a guy when they should have been looking out for the killer._

_"She deserves to die," Alice muttered._

_"Hey!" I objected from my spot on the floor where I had spent the past twenty minutes moaning in agony._

_"Not you," she retorted. "The chick on the screen. No way in hell would I let a guy feel me up with a murder on the loose, no matter how hot he was. It's just asking for death."_

_"I'm disgusted with myself," I muttered as I rubbed my aching stomach._

_Rosalie didn't even raise her head from Alice's lap as she responded. "Don't be too hard on yourself, Bella. You haven't eaten like this in so long your stomach isn't used to it anymore." _

_"That's no excuse," I snapped. "I have planned for this day for weeks. Weeks! How could I let myself down like this?" I muttered, glancing towards all the untouched food that I couldn't eat and not because my day was up. I literally couldn't eat it. I was full!_

_"Look at it this way, Bella. Your hard work is paying off. You would have been able to eat this way before, but all your dieting and exercising is finally paying off. You should be proud of yourself, Bella."_

_"We're proud of you," Rosalie murmured._

_I felt my eyes tearing up as I thought over the past few weeks. It had been hard, yes, but it had also been wonderful. I had spent more time with my friends. I was getting healthy and I was happy. I hadn't been happy for a long time. _

_If I gained the weight back, if losing the weight wasn't what I thought it would be. I would still be grateful for bringing us back together._

As I lost weight and as I spent precious time with my friends, I was happier than I had been in so long. The only bad thing in my life was Jacob Black.

For some reason, Jake thought that I wanted to take everything away from him. I wanted his money. I wanted his fame. All I wanted was a divorce, but try telling him that.

_"Like hell," Jake snarled from across the large table in the conference room where we had met with our lawyers in the hopes of keeping this amicable. "You're not getting a single penny from me."_

_"I don't want it! I don't want anything from you, Jake. I just want to be free of you."_

_"Of me?" he scoffed. "You love me. You're just angry because I left you. And now you think that you can win me back by losing a few pounds. It's pathetic really."_

_A few pounds? I had lost twenty eight pounds in the two months since I had last seen Jake. Apparently, he had been too busy to file the papers needed, so I had to do it. I wanted to move on with my life and Jake somehow thought I wanted to win him back. Please! _

_Over the past two months I had become more aware of the fact that I was truly too good for Jacob Black. That although he was a brilliant writer, her was a terrible husband. I wanted someone who would love me, not see himself as above me. And over the past two months I had come to doubt whether he had ever truly loved me. How could he if he could treat me like this?_

_"Do whatever you want, Jake," I snapped. "Just make sure you sign the damn papers. The sooner I cut all ties with you, the better."_

I had walked out of the divorce lawyer's office with my head held high and with more determination to reach my target than ever.

I would meet my target; I would go on vacation with my friends and have fun. I would enjoy my life.

I wouldn't lose the weight to win Jacob Black back. I would never want a man I had to win at all. I would only ever have a man who loved me for me. Who would love me no matter my size, my age, and my success and if I never found one then I had some pretty awesome friends and what more could a girl truly need?

* * *

"Well, here goes nothing," I muttered as I stepped onto the scales.

It had been four months since I had signed my divorce papers, officially ending my marriage to Jacob Black and I hadn't heard a peep out of him since. He hadn't wanted anything to do with our home in the village, stating that it was below him, so it was all mine.

For the past four months I had worked harder than ever to get into shape, my meeting with Jake giving me the extra push I needed. I still loved my treat day and I still caressed bottles of Coke in supermarkets, but that was just me.

Rosalie and Alice had been there throughout it all. They had been the ones that stood there with me as I weighed myself every week. They celebrated with me and they boosted me up when I hadn't lost as much weight as I wanted some weeks. They had been through it all and I loved them all the more for it.

The girls had even given me a surprise one night when they had dressed me up in a cowboy hat, worn out jeans and a checkered shirt.

_"What are we doing here?" I laughed as I looked around the country themed bar, swaying along the Blake Shelton's sexy voice as it played in the background._

_Alice grinned. "We knew you'd love it!"_

_"We thought since you hated jogging and weights and yoga," Rosalie ticked off her fingers with a smirk._

_"Let's not forget the passionate hatred you have for reverse squat lunges," Alice quipped._

_Rosalie laughed. "Yes, let's not forget that! So, we thought we'd bring you somewhere you could get a workout and have a little fun."_

_"And somewhere you could learn some line dancing moves. You need to be ready for those sexy cowboys."_

_I smiled. "You guys are awesome!"_

Today was the day, my target day. Hopefully I had lost the weight I had set out to, but if not then that would be fine. I would keep working until I did.

Rosalie was more anxious for today than any of us. After four grueling months at work, she needed a break. She needed some rest and relaxation and she couldn't wait to get out of the city for a few weeks and just enjoy herself.

Alice was already packed, choosing each of her outfits carefully after searching online for 'Southern attire'. She had worked tirelessly to be able to take the time off and was all but vibrating in excitement. The woman who had once threatened me for taking her out of her comfortable city was now desperate to get away as fast as possible.

So, today was the day and though I knew I would continue with my diet, I was still nervous that I hadn't managed to reach my target. I knew I would be devastated if I hadn't reached my goal. We all would; I had never been in this alone.

"Come on, Bella," Rosalie groaned from the couch. She laid back, her golden hair spread underneath her, her long legs dangling on the arm of the chair. She wore faded jeans and a plain t-shirt and still managed to look like she was about to pose for a magazine shoot.

Alice was up but vibrating behind me. She believed I had made my target and wouldn't listen when I warned her not to get her hopes up. Alice wore a white summer dress, using a piece of lemon colored satin as a head band. She loved it when the weather started to warm up so she could be more adventurous with her outfits.

I, on the other hand, was dressed a lot more like Rosalie; jeans and a t-shirt. Not many of my clothes fit me anymore and we had already planned an epic shopping spree for today if I had reached my goal. I didn't want to but a whole new wardrobe for it to not fit me again.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped onto the scales. The same scales that I had stepped on once a week for the past six months. My heart was pounding, my palms were sweating and the room was suddenly silent.

I looked down at the scales and was stunned by what I saw. Stepping off them, I jumped back on only to stare down at them again.

"Bella!" My friends snapped. "Don't leave us in suspense," Alice begged.

Stepping down from the scales, I turned to my friends, tears filling my eyes.

"Bella," Rosalie murmured in sympathy as she got to her feet to wrap her arms around me, Alice following her.

"You will get there. We just have to keep going," Alice whispered, wrapping Rosalie and I up in a bear hug.

"No," I mumbled as I pushed away so I could look at them.

"Bella, you can't give up," Rosalie protested.

"No," I smiled. "I did it!" I squealed, tears pouring down my face. "Well, actually I lost two pounds more then I intended, which should be good for when I try to balance my diet out and eat a little more normally now," I rambled.

My friends stood there in shock, their bright eyes filling with tears before screaming and once again pulling me into their arms. This time it wasn't a sad hug, though, it was happy! We squealed like we did when one of us got asked out by a cute guy in high school. We squealed like we did when we finally finished our finals and graduated high school. We squealed like we did when we got into college and Rosalie got into law school, when Alice's designs had been picked up and when I had gotten my book deal.

We hadn't squealed in a long time, but we did today.

"We have to go shopping!" Alice laughed. "You need a sexy new outfit for that cute body of yours."

For years shopping for clothes had been a chore, something I needed to do but not something I wanted to or enjoyed. Today, for the first time in years, I wanted to go shopping.

* * *

Six hours later, we returned home and jumped what must have been a hundred shopping bags onto my living room floor.

"I have never been so tired in my life," Rosalie groaned as we dropped onto my sofa.

We were worn out, even Alice who had dragged us into the mall for countless hours more times that I could count. We had shopped out the poor thing, pouring through store after store, searching for outfits that not fit me, but complimented me. It wasn't only me, but Alice and Rosalie who hadn't gotten new outfits, unable to resist the temptation of a 25% sale.

"We should do something tonight," Alice mumbled, her arms and legs dangling lifelessly.

"I never want to move again," I moaned as I kicked off my shoes, sighing in relief when my feet were finally out of those torture traps.

"We have to, Bella. We have to celebrate this occasion," she said, hitting her hand against the sofa to emphasize her point. Or she would have if she had gotten the energy to do it. Instead she kind of just let it drop back to the chair like she didn't have the strength to bring it down herself.

"She's right, hon, we have to do this. We should go out, get drunk, dance and flirt with guys. It'll make me feel better after the case I just finished." Rosalie muttered.

While most people heard the words Defense Attorney and instantly thought they must be cold, heartless people, Rosalie was actually one of the good guys. She didn't take on a client she thought was guilty, stating that if someone did what they were accused of then they should be punished.

Her last client was charged for murder and Rosalie fought tooth and nail to make sure he didn't get sent to prison for something he didn't do. For weeks not only the family of the deceased but the press and the police department had called Rosalie a monster. It had taken a lot out of her and Alice and I had spent many of nights at Rosalie's because she didn't feel safe alone and because she needed a shoulder to lean on. She got two of them. Alice and Rosalie rarely left her side.

Last week new evidence was found, thanks to Rosalie's determination and quick thinking, that proved that her client couldn't have had committed the murder and her client was released, so grateful that Rosalie had taken a chance on him and made sure he had his freedom. The police, the press, the family, they hadn't said anything. They still treated Rosalie with distain, making Alice and I want to go down there and kick the shit out of everyone.

"You're right," I replied, resting my hand on top of hers.

"Awesome!" Alice clapped her excitement for tonight giving her a new found energy.

Rosalie rolled her head towards me. "Sometimes I just want to deck her."

I nodded in agreement as Alice jumped to her feet. "No, you don't. You love me!" With that she made her way over the mountain of bags and began to search for the outfit she thought would be 'perfect' for tonight.

* * *

The club was packed with people with drinks in their hands, dancing along with the beat of the music that blared in the background.

The bar was packed, so instead of heading there first, we headed to join in with the crowd of people and dance along to Katy Perry's _Last Friday Night._

Though the club was cool with its backlit walls, silver floors and furniture and disco dance floor, I had never been into clubs. I was still a bookworm, after all, but tonight I was here to, as Alice yelled as we let my apartment, 'Party Hearty!'

Tonight was a night for celebration and relaxation. We intended to dance the night away and have fun.

We had been dancing for about twenty minutes when the heat and the dancing started to get to us. "How about some drinks?" I yelled over the music.

The girls nodded gratefully and began to follow me.

"No!" I shouted. "Keep our place!" The disco dance floor was lit up bright and everyone was on it, dancing along to the upbeat music, if we all left, we'd never get back on.

With everyone on the dance floor, it was hard to maneuver my way through, but on the upside, the bar was pretty quiet. Like the walls, the bar was lit up like a Christmas tree, the young bartenders wearing black shirt and slacks as they rushed around filling orders even though there weren't many people over here.

Sighing, I rested my arms on the bar top, glad to get away from the heat of over a hundred bodies and give my ears a rest from the pounding music. Glancing back over to the dance floor, I noticed my friends were dancing wide, doing over the top arm gestures. Keeping my space, I thought with a smile as Alice nearly took some guys eye out when he went to move closer.

"You should do that often," I heard a smooth voice say from beside me.

I turned to see a really cute guy with short blond hair and bright blue eyes smiling at me.

"Do what?" I asked confused, grateful that I didn't have to yell.

"Smile," he grinned. Flirting.

Deciding that after such a long time with no flirting and no men at all in face, I flirted back. I hoped I didn't look like a moron as I gave him a seductive, yet coy smile and batted my eye lashes like I was taught as a teenager. It must have worked because his eyes darkened with interest.

_I've still got it_, I thought to myself.

_What you have is confidence, girl_, another voice said. _He's cute, get you're flirt on!_

I went with the voice and leaned in a little closer, thanking God I wore the shimmering black dress that was cut low enough in the cleavage to get a guy's attention, but not look trampy.

"Who say's I don't?" I challenged.

He grinned. "The fact that you're not here with a guy. If you were mine and smiled like that, I wouldn't let you out of my sight," he chuckled.

"What makes you think he isn't out on the dance floor somewhere? Or at home?"

His eyes sparkled with laughter. "If he's at home, he's an idiot. And there isn't a guy, I've had my eye on you since you walked in," he finished with a confidence I liked.

"You have?" I asked, knowing that it should have freaked me out, but I was oddly flattered.

"I have," he answered honestly. I liked that, too. He didn't lie or come off as arrogant, just confident. Like he didn't care if he knew he was watching me. That I had got his attention. After what seemed so long of indifference from Jake, from me in general, it was nice to have caught someone's eyes.

Trying for cool, I ordered my drinks, watching Blue Eyes watch me.

"You want to dance?" he asked.

I turned to him with a smile. "I can't," I said with regret. "It's an all girl's night. No boy's allowed," I whispered teasingly.

He laughed. "Didn't we get over this kind of thing in middle school?"

I shook my head. "I don't think we ever get over things like that. We just pretend we do."

That earned me another laugh. "Well, I think you're right there. How about your number? Or, better yet, your name?"

"Bella," I answered, holding my hand out.

He took my hand in his larger one. "Mike. It's nice to meet you, Bella. How about that number?" he asked.

"You're determined."

"I go after what I want," he answered with that same confidence. It was the perfect thing to say. I wanted a man to do that. Only not with some other woman or his work like Jake had. I wanted a man to see me and want me.

"I bet you do," I murmured. "Look, Mike, me and my friends are going out of town for a few weeks. It wouldn't be fair to give you my number and then disappear." I told him honestly.

He nodded. "How about this, I give you my card and when you come back in town you give me a call?" He suggested as he handed me a small white card.

"I don't know how long we're going to be. Could be one week could be four," I shrugged. I didn't want him to think I just didn't call if it turned out to be the latter.

"I know. You call me when you get back, Bella. I'll look forward to seeing you."

His eyes held mine for the longest moment and I found myself smiling. "Okay. I'll call you when I'm back," I gave in as the bartender came over with my drinks.

"These are on me," Mike answered as he handed the money over to the bartender. He then brought my fingers up to his mouth, placing a chaste kiss on the back of my hand. "You enjoy the rest of you girls only night, Bella." He smiled.

"I will thank you. I'll speak to you soon," I promised as I gathered the drinks and went over to join my friends, feeling his eyes on me as I walked away.

I returned to my friends, my cheeks blushed and my confidence high. I would call Mike, he seemed to be nice and sweet and charming without being a creeper. Perfect.

"She shoots, she scores!" Rosalie shouted as I made my way back over to her.

"What?" I yelled as I handed her and Alice their drinks.

"Mr. Cutie from the bar. We saw you!" Alice laughed. "Good for you girl. What happened?"

"He gave me his number and told me to call him when we got back into town!" I yelled.

Rosalie cheered. "She's still got it!"

I glanced down at the card in my hand. DR. Michael Newton.

"He's doctor!" Alice shouted, reading the card over my shoulder. "Good for you. Doctors are hot!"

I couldn't help but laugh as she and Rosalie high fived, celebrating my 'catch' as they called him.

I had to admit, he was a pretty good catch. Cute, smart, charming, funny and he knows what wants and goes after it. Definitely a catch.

* * *

I stumbled into Alice's living room the next morning to find her and Rosalie in front of the laptop, arguing over something.

Alice's apartment was full of color, and art. Her apartment suited her more artistic side and always made me think that this was what Alice's mind would look like; colorful and chaotic. It was also the closet to the club where we had stayed at until the wee hours of the morning, dancing, drinking and laughing as we tried to find another 'catch'.

I hadn't seen Mike again, but his card still lay in my purse, waiting for me to call when I got back from wherever we went.

Which is what my friends were arguing about. "We need to know, Alice," Rosalie snapped.

"Why? We should just drive down there and find a town we like and stay there." She argued.

"Because most horror films include clueless women driving through some backwoods town when they either knock some poor bastard down or the car breaks down and they get hacked into pieces. I'm not willing to be one of those women's. Pick a town," she snapped.

"I think we have to decide where about we want to go first," I said making my presence known.

"Hey sweetie," Alice greeted me.

"Headache?" Rosalie teased.

"I feel like the Hulk just body slammed me and then bashed me on the head for the fun of it," I grumbled.

Rosalie just grinned. "Welcome to my world. Anyway, we're leaving in a couple of days and we still don't know where the hell we're heading. This is you're fantasy, pick a place."

"Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, Virginia, Carolina?" Alice ticked off. "Those are some, but may I say? I'd just love to try me some Georgia peaches," she drawled in a strong southern accent whilst batting her eye lashes.

"Georgia?" I asked.

Alice shrugged. "Why not? I was listening to Jana Kramer's album."

Rosalie rolled her eyes and I had to smile. Alice, who would honestly drive through the south and find a town she liked, would of course choose a state because of a song.

Rosalie typed on the laptop and smiled. "It does look pretty nice, Bella. Exactly what you would expect from a small southern town."

I looked at the pictures of picturesque towns and forests and decided to ask the most important thing. "Do they have cowboys?"

A few hours later set. We had decided on Fairmount, Georgia and were now extremely excited to get moving. Instead of flying, we had decided to drive and since Rosalie was the only one who could, it looked like Alice and I were going to get plenty rest and relaxation on the trip.

It would take over sixteen hours to drive from New York to Georgia. So we planned to drive half way, stop for the night and then get back on the road in the morning. Alice had already checked out the maps and found a small motel to stop in for the night, so things were looking up.

Also we had went online and found a place to stay while in Fairmount. It was an Inn that had been in the owner's family for generations. The woman on the phone was sweet and helpful, telling us that though she hadn't taken guest in for over a year, she would love to have us. We were all set.

Tomorrow our journey south would begin.

**A/N ****There you go, the next chapter! Now, for those who are into details, I got tired of trying to find a town in the south that had cowboys, the accent and all the things I needed. I was watching the Footloose remake (awesome) and the girl who plays Rusty is from Georgia and I love her accent, so that's why I chose there. Fairmount, though it may be a real town, will be from my imagination so if things are wrong... ah well. I'm also trying to decide whether or not I should bring Edward in sooner or later, what do you think?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**** Hi guys! I am so sorry for the latest freakin update ever! I have been uber busy and I've wrote a chapter and a half for my other story first. Anywho, so sorry! Please leave a review and let me know what you think!**

**BPOV**

"You have got to be freakin' kidding me!" Rosalie growled as the car can to an abrupt halt in the middle of town.

"Look on the bright side; at least we made it," I chirped from in the back seat, earning murderous glares from my two best friends.

The drive to Georgia had started out fun and adventurous, until Rosalie's back had start hurting her, Alice needed to pee every five minutes and the radio of the car we rented had stopped working leaving us with only each other as entertainment. Again, that had started out as fun, we sang, we played games, but after an hour that had gotten boring and we had been eager to reach the motel Alice had promised.

Saying that the motel we found was a shit hole was being kind. It was dark and smelly and you could practically see the germs and bacteria that covered every inch of the place.

_"You've gotta be fuckin' kidding me," Rosalie snarled as she scowled at the small room we found ourselves in._

_I turned to Alice with a scowl. "I thought you said you checked this place out," I accused. _

_"I did," she snapped as she wrinkled her nose delicately. "It looked nice on the internet."_

_Rosalie rolled her eyes as she clutched her _Louis Vuitton_ bag to her chest protectively. "Of course they're not going to advertise that the place is a shit tip on their own website, Alice."_

_"Well, sorry," Alice snapped not sounding apologetic in the least. "We're here now; let's just make the best of it." _

_"The best of what?" I demanded. "I think I could be at that motel where Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson stayed at in _Vacancy _and make the best of it. Not this place."_

_Alice glared as she shoved her hands on her hips. "How are you going to make it in Georgia, huh? How are you going to make it out there when you can't even spend one teeny night in a motel?"_

_"It's Georgia, Alice, not outer space," Rosalie drawled as she made her way cautiously around the room like she expected a rat to run out and rip her throat out any second._

_Alice just rolled her eyes before she turned her back and toured the room much like Rosalie had. Cautiously. It seemed that while Alice was trying to look for the bright side, she wasn't quite getting there. _

_"How are we going to sleep?" I asked warily as I looked at the king sized bed that I would never like to see around a black light. I didn't need one to know that this place probably rented by the hour and had seen more sex than most brothels. I didn't dare think of what may still be lurking on the sheets._

_"I say we sleep in the car," Rosalie suggested. "Or a large toilet. There would probably less germs," she chuckled._

_"You are such a wimp, Rosie," Alice tutted as she leaned in to examine the bed sheet like she was studying DNA on a microscope__._

_"Oh really?" Rosalie asked before giving Alice a quick shove onto the bed._

_"Oh my god!" Alice screamed as she frantically dived off the bed and started furiously scrubbing the exposed skin of her arms as if she could brush off any germs that had managed to touch her._

_Rosalie and I were doubled over in laughter as she ran around the room screaming and vowing revenge. _

_After Alice had stopped trying to drown Rosalie in the toilet we managed to agree to spend the night in the motel and shower with bleach as soon as we could. We would have actually slept in the car, money be damned, but it was too small for the three of us and our luggage. Had we known about the motel we would have rented something more akin to the _Mystery Inc. _van._

_"How far we have come," Alice muttered as we lay curled up on the bed. "Last month I was in a five-star hotel in Paris and now I'm on a germ infested bed at some motel that is going into the minuses as far as stars go. This sucks!"_

_"Relax Alice," I soothed her. "Tomorrow we'll be driving down the highway; stopping only at the beautiful Inn that we have all seen and have been assured that it is not a disease mosh pit."_

_"Knowing our luck it will be a hell house with those freaks out of _Silent Hill," _Rosalie snorted._

_We went to sleep eventually, knowing that we had a long drive tomorrow and knowing that nothing could be worse than this._

"Why are you always wrong?" Rosalie demanded, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I rolled my eyes. "Because I hate you and I've dragged you here just so I can see you suffer," I snapped.

Rosalie grunted. "Well at least you admitted it."

I sighed. "Look, there's a store right over there. Isn't it one of the biggest clichés that small towns are just full of hospitality? Maybe if we go in there someone will call us a local mechanic or at least give us the number to one."

Alice nodded. "Have fun then," she snapped as she pointed towards the door.

"Why me? I look like a mess! I have a wrinkled t-shirt that is covered in stains from the amount of times we hit a pot hole while I was drinking and I look like a hobo dragged me through a bush. You two look a lot better than me," I argued.

"Well I've driven the entire drive here and my back hurts like a bitch," Rosalie snapped.

"Well Alice can go," I decided.

Alice simply shook her head. "I wanted to go to the Bahamas. If it were up to me we would have flown first class to some hot beach and had half-naked men serve us cold beverages. It was your idea to come here because or your damn obsession with small towns and cowboys."

I groaned knowing that this was a battle I had no chance in hell in winning and threw the car door open, cursing the both of them as I stepped out onto the sunny street.

The town reminded me of the one used in _Back to the Future_. It was sunny, clean, trees were spread around the street and I was pretty sure if I concentrated hard enough I would be able to hear and Ice cream truck and children laughing.

I love it!

It was just a shame that instead of walking in there looking casually beautiful, I would go in there wearing cutoff jeans and a stained bright yellow t-shirt that had the peace symbol on it. Not a great first impression.

I entered the brightly lit store and made my way to the cash register, hoping beyond hope that the cashier wasn't one of those clichéd Southern women and would look at my state of dress with scorn.

"Hello miss, yes I know that I look like someone threw me out of a moving vehicle, but by any chance could I ask for a favor? No, please don't call the cops, "I muttered as I came to a halt at the vacant cash register.

I took the chance to get a better look at store that I was in. It was well-lit with bright, bold colors that decorated each aisle. The far wall was completely glass and looked out onto the street where my friends sat sweltering in the car. The door even had a little bell over the top of it. How cute was that?

All in all it looked like any small town store I've ever seen, the only thing making it stand out was the make it yourself coffee stand.

I was wondering whether or not I should bring the girls out a coffee when the cashier popped her head out from the staff door with a bright smile.

The woman in front of me was around her early fifties with shirt greying hair, a friendly smile and open dark hazel eyes. She was round in the face, but it didn't take away from her beauty, but complimented her.

"I'm so sorry, honey, I didn't hear the bell ring," she apologized sincerely in that Southern drawl that I loved so much. "I guess that's what happens when you get to my age," she laughed and I couldn't help but join her.

"What can I get for you, honey?" The woman asked sweetly, finally taking in my appearance.

I flushed. "Well, my friends and I have just driven from New York for a couple of weeks-"

The woman's face lit up. "Oh, that's wonderful! You'll really enjoy Fairmount. It's such a good community."

I couldn't help but smile, she sounded like the web page we'd looked up once we had decided on Georgia. It was so sweet. "I know, it looks beautiful. We were looking for a town where we could relax for a while and enjoy everything the town has to offer."

"Oh, you will!" she promised. "Where are my manners? I'm Ellen and this is my store. Well, it's my husbands, too, of course, but I'm the one who runs it. He likes to fish," she grinned.

I rolled my eyes as if I understood completely. "Men. I'm Bella, by the way."

Ellen laughed. "So, what can I do for you?" she asked curiously glancing over my shoulder when the bell rang.

I smiled as I tried to force down the flutters in my stomach. I hated asking people for things. "Well, I was actually wondering if I could use your phone, please. Our car broke down and we've kind of crawled into town on prayers alone," I chuckled nervously.

Ellen just smiled in sympathy. "You poor things! My son is actually a mechanic and if you'd like I can have him come pick you. Get you a really good price," she winked.

I sighed with relief. "Thank you so much! I really didn't want to go out there and tell them we'd have to push it across town. I value my life," I joked.

"Don't worry, he's pretty big guy. He would have protected you," she promised.

I laughed. "You don't know these women. I thought they were going to throw me at the side of the road when our cell phones died and we couldn't charge them on the car due to the fact that it was smoking from the hood. It was kind of my idea to come down here. I have a thing for cowboys, you see? They wanted to go to the Bahamas.

Ellen scoffed. "There's nothing in the Bahamas that you can't get in Georgia. You just wait here and I'll go give him a call."

I nodded with a grateful smile.

Ellen paused to glance over her shoulder. "And I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but most cowboys are arrogant and self-centered. It's mechanics you want to catch," she smiled before she disappeared.

I couldn't help but laugh. Ellen was obviously trying to set me up with her son, despite my questionable appearance. I loved her.

A couple of minutes later Ellen returned with a bright smile. "He's on his way, honey. If you'd like to get your friends and come wait in here, I could get you a drink. Somewhere you can have a seat and I could protect you," she offered with a grin.

I laughed. "I'll go and ask them, but be warned, they are in worse condition than I am. None of us was meant for long journeys in the car," I laughed as I turned around and went straight into a cup of hot coffee.

Hot!

Holly hell, it was hotter than the devils ass!

I shrieked as I tried to breathe through the shock and pain of the hot drink burning into my skin, I didn't even notice the guy who had been holding it.

Deciding that I should probably apologize for not paying attention and running into him, I glanced up and nearly did a double take. He was gorgeous. No, he was sexy and I briefly thought that if this was Ellen's son than I was down with the set up that she had in mind. Around six two, pale skin, messy bronze hair, strong jaw line and a body that was like running into a wall; he was hotter than hell.

Well, until he opened his mouth.

"Are you an idiot?" he snarled. "Why the hell don't you look where you're going you little fool?"

"Excuse me," I asked.

His dark green eyes all but spit fire at me. "Thanks to you and your idiocy, my suit is ruined and I'm going to miss my meeting in an hour. All because you're too stupid and self-involved to notice that there are other people on the planet. Do me a favor and the next time you decide to ruin my day, give me a call so I can steer clear of you."

Burned skin, ruined t-shirt and shock had all been pushed to the back of my mind. I didn't care how cute any guy was, nobody spoke like that to me.

"Well, so much for small town hospitality. Ellen you get a ten out of ten, but you, you asshole, are letting the team down. You call me stupid, idiotic and self-involved, but you haven't noticed for a single second that I'm that one that's covered in your scalding hot coffee. Have you even bothered to ask whether or not I have third degree burns? Hell no. You're worried about your suit and missing your meeting. I may have bumped into you, but that was an accident. You, on the other hand, know that I'm covered in coffee and instead of asking whether or not I need immediate medical attention, you jump down my throat. The apology I was about to offer? Screw that. You're lucky I don't deck you on the spot just out of principle." I turned back to Ellen with a smile. "Thank you so much for all your help, Ellen, but I'll wait for your son in my car if that's all right with you. I can change and see how much damage he's done." I said, putting the blame firmly on him as I turned as glided out of the store, proud of my dramatic exit.

Before the door closed, I heard Ellen admonishing the asshole. "Your Grandma raised you better than that," she hissed. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

The asshole, who he will forever be known as from this point on, muttered something that I couldn't catch before the door slammed shut and I stalked over to the car.

"Someone's coming," I growled as I pulled my shirt up to see my bright red skin. No permanent damage, I decided. It just stung like a bitch.

"What happened to you?" Rosalie gasped as she took in my burn mark.

"I bumped into someone," I muttered as I reached for a clean, and dry, shirt. "His coffee covered me and then the dick head had the nerve to yell at me and call me a self-involved idiot because he'll be late for his meeting."

"He what?" Alice demanded. "What an asshole. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I huffed as I dragged on a loose shirt. "It just stings a little. I'll be okay as soon as it settles down and I have that guy's head on a stick. There he is!" I snapped as I saw him exit the store looking pissed off and muttering to himself. Obviously he was still angry about his suit. Too freakin' bad.

"He's hot," Alice and Rosalie noted in unison.

"Yeah," I laughed. "Too bad about his shitty personality."

"So we hate him?" Alice wondered as she turned back to me. I wanted to laugh at her. Ever since the girls in school teased Alice for being short we agreed that out of solidarity that if one of us hated someone, the others would immediately jump on the band wagon and hate them too. Childish, I know, but effective.

"Yes." I answered firmly.

* * *

"How long is your new boyfriend going to be?" Rosalie groaned as she rested her long legs on the steering wheel, showing us that those yoga classes were paying off.

"Ellen said he wouldn't be long," I replied, still fuming over my run in with the hot asshole.

"I wonder if he'll come already wearing a tux or not?" Alice teased, laughing when I threw her a glare. "What? I heard that Southern boys love their mammas," she drawled in a strong Southern drawl.

"Alice," I warned, trying not to laugh.

"I bet he's sexier than socks on rooster," she replied, her accent becoming stronger.

"Ah, Willard," I sighed, thinking of my favorite character from _Footloose_.

Rosalie just laughed. "You and that crush of yours."

"He's the only character that wasn't a professional dancer. All these kids have been banned from dancing, but hey, a little bit of music and it's like they're in a music video! He was the only character who wasn't and he was oh so hot because of it." I rambled on while Alice and Rosalie rolled their eyes; they'd heard it before.

We had been sitting in the car for the last half an hour making idle conversation as we waited for Ellen's son to arrive and we'd gotten a little bored. The only highlight had been when the man from the store had come stalking out of Ellen's shop looking angry, embarrassed and coffee stained. That had been enough to make my day better.

"Here it is!" Alice shrieked, pointing out the windshield as a dark blue tow truck had around the corner.

"Thank god!" Rosalie all but squealed. "I can't wait to get to the Inn and have a nice long shower. Did you call ahead and let them know we were going to be late?" Rosalie double checked with Alice who had stepped out the car fifteen minutes ago to make a few phone calls, draining the last of her battery. She had kept the fact that she had some battery left a secret; she admitted earning a glare from us.

Alice nodded. "Yes, the lady on the phone was really nice. She said that she'd had our rooms and some food waiting for us for when we arrived. Then she started telling me about the time her and her late husband went parking only to have the car breakdown afterward. She said that she blushed for a month after that," Alice giggled.

"Nice," Rosalie nodded appreciatively.

"Come on, let's go and meet my future lover," I laughed as we stepped out the car.

I had to admit the only tow truck I'd ever seen was Mater from the movie Cars. I had to admit this was nothing like the one from the animated movie. Instead of rusting and old this tow truck was sleek and shiny and obviously well taken care of by its owner, who had just swung the door open and hopped out of the truck with ease.

"Whoa," Alice, Rosalie and I murmured in unison as our jaws hit the pavement.

The owner of the truck was around six three of pure muscle. His hair was short, but curly and jet black, his skin was tanned, showing that he spent a lot of time outdoors and his oil stained white t-shirt hugged his body in ways that every woman on the planet appreciated.

"Dibs," Rosalie muttered, causing u to curse as he made his way over to us.

His face was open and as friendly as his smile. His dark eyes gazed appreciably over all three of us, but I noticed he lingered on Rosalie which made me curse all over again.

"Ladies," he greeted with that drawl that made my toes curl and a smile that made me think of sexy nights on silk sheets.

"Hi," Rosalie all but purred as she held her hand out. "I'm Rosalie and this is Bella and Alice."

"Emmett McCarty. It's a pleasure to meet you all. My mom gave me a call and mentioned you have a little car trouble. I can take it my garage if you'd like and take a better look at it there."

"That would awesome!" Alice smiled brightly up at him, liking the thought of getting off the street and seeing this fine man in his natural habitat.

I had to admit that the image of seeing him bent over the hood of the car all sweaty and greasy made my mouth all but water.

Emmett grinned. "Great. If you ladies would like to jump in the truck while I set her up that'd be fine. I have air conditioning and I'm guessing you want to get out of the heat."

If Rosalie hadn't called dibs I would have jumped him right there. Air conditioning! Ours had broken down along with the car and no matter how far the windows were rolled down it made no difference.

Emmett led us over to the truck and helped each one of us in with a gentle hand which made me like him all the more before he set everything up. It didn't take long before our piece of shit car was somehow attached to the truck and Emmett popped his head up the window.

"I'll be two minutes, ladies. My mother will kill me if I don't pop in and say hello," he chuckled deeply before heading into the store.

"Tell her thank you again!" I called from my seat, smiling when he raised his hand in the air and saluted without turning around. The boy had one fine ass, so I didn't mind in the least.

"Ladies, I don't have any napkins, but I do have some antibacterial wet wipes if you'd like to use those," Alice drawled.

"Shut up, Alice, you're just as bad as us," Rosalie retorted. "I saw you checking out his ass when he bent over."

"I'm not blind," Alice defended herself. "And I don't care about dibs, if that boy suggests that he'd like to tap this than I am all over that," she added dramatically as she waved her hand over the spot where Emmett had disappeared.

I just laughed. Despite the motel room from hell, the heat and the expensive rental car breaking down and having some cute asshole tip hot coffee all down me, I was actually having fun. It had been too long since the three of us bickered about who would get the hot guy.

Soon Emmett reappeared with a bright smile and brown bag with Ellen's name written across it. I glanced up to that the store was actually named after Ellen.

"For you," he said dramatically as he handed over the brown bag before climbing in beside Rosalie, who had snagged shot gun before we could even blink. "She said it was the least she could do since Bella got covered in coffee and yelled at in her store," he snickered as he started the truck.

I rolled my eyes. "I was just starting to enjoy myself, can we not discuss the dickhead from hell," I pleaded as Emmett laughed and threw the car into drive.

In the sack were soft drinks, potato chips and a crap load of candy. I officially loved the woman. "I should have gone in to thank her," I mumbled as I took a swig of the ice cold soda.

Emmett shrugged. "No worries. She said she'd like to see you again, though, she liked you. She even told me that I should ask for your number," he added with a leery wink in the rearview mirror.

"Anytime sugah," I drawled making him laugh and Rosalie throw me a mock glare. "Anytime," I whispered to her.

It didn't take long before we arrived at Emmett's garage, McCarty's, and it was everything I had ever imagined any mechanics garage to be. It was loud with men in greasy overalls, tools clinking and clanking and, yes, some hairy guy's ass cracks. Nice...

Emmett, an ass that I wouldn't mind seeing, led us to his office which was surprising neat and clean and stylish, not exactly what you'd expect from a garage. Not that I'd ever been in many. Or any, for that matter.

"Okay, so since you did the smart thing and got insurance on the rental car that screwed you over it's not going to cost you a thing," he assured us with a smile.

Alice sighed in relief. "Great. I really didn't want to use my actual vacation savings on that piece of shit."

Emmett choked on a laugh. "Well, I'm glad. And your right, the car is a piece of shit. I'm surprised it made it this far. If I were you I'd be paying a visit to that rental place as soon as I got home."

"Don't worry. We will be," Rosalie muttered darkly.

Emmett smirked, once again giving her the once over, his eyes flaring with interest. Alice and I shared a pout; obviously his interest was with our blond friend. "Blood thirsty. I like it."

"We should get going," Alice said loudly, snapping Emmett out of his heated stare.

"I guess we should," Rosalie agreed reluctantly as she threw Alice a cold glare.

I quickly got to my feet, eager for that cold shower, until a thought occurred to me. "How are we going to get there?" I asked Alice quietly while Rosalie continued to bat her eyelashes.

Alice's eyes widened as if she had suddenly remembered out predicament. It would be easy to get there but we had all out suitcases and they were kind of heavy to be lugging around town in search of the Inn.

Emmett was the one who solved our problem. "Oh, so you're the women staying at the Inn. No problem," he shrugged his broad shoulders casually. Oh my they were nice; broad and muscular... Concentrate Bella, I snapped mentally. "If you can wait ten minutes I'd be more than happy to give you girls a ride. You can throw your suitcases in the truck."

"We don't want to impose," Alice rushed out.

He gave us that charming smile that could drop a woman at twenty paces. "It's nothing. I'm heading out that way anyway. I can drop you off on my way. I assure you, helping three beautiful ladies when they're in a jam is no imposition."

"If you're sure..." I trailed off.

"I am," he replied firmly.

Rosalie all but beamed as she got to her feet. "Excellent!"

* * *

"Here we are, ladies," Emmett announced as he pulled up outside the Inn. "Give me a sec and I'll take your bags in."

"No, that's okay," I rushed out. It turned out Emmett was needed to go and tow another car and we all understood how that felt like and didn't want to keep anyone waiting.

"Are you sure?" he demanded with a frown. I noticed how his glance flickered to Rosalie, who looked disappointed but understanding.

"We're sure," Alice replied as she hopped down from the car and started lugging out our bags. "Thank you so much for all of your help, Emmett."

"Yes," I agreed. "You are truly our knight in shining armor," I laughed as I gave him a peck on the cheek and followed Alice out of the truck.

"What about you, Rosalie?" he asked in a teasing tone. "Am I your white knight?"

Rosalie smiled seductively before leaning into to whisper something to him that made him grin from ear to ear before she joined us on the pavement with a satisfied smirk.

"I'd really like to see you all again. How about you join me for a drink tomorrow night and Johnnies?" he asked.

"Johnnies?" Alice frowned.

"It's kind of the only bar in town. My dad owns it," he smiled.

I couldn't help but laugh. "So your family owns the grocery store, the garage and the only bar in town?"

Emmett chuckled. "Techniqually, the garage is mine, but yeah pretty much."

"We'll see you then," Rosalie replied flirtatiously.

"Seven?" he asked her.

"Definitely," she answered.

He gave her that up and down look that men tended to do, but his was hotter than anything I'd ever seen before. "Until then."

As Emmett roared down the street, Alice and I turned to Rosalie. "What did you whisper to my new boyfriend?" Alice demanded as she threw her hands on her hips and gave her a mock glare.

"I told him that he could be my knight anytime." Rosalie shrugged as she bent to get her bags, but I saw the excitement that lit her blue eyes. She liked him.

Alice must have noticed, too, because she turned to me with wide eyes. I winked at her; it seemed someone had finally gotten through Rosalie's defenses.

"Let's just go. We're late enough as it is," Rosalie grumbled as she made her way up the path.

The Inn was exactly like it looked like on the web page. The Inn was two stories with Ivory colored walls, an inviting front porch with a white wooden rail that seemed to surround the entire house. The front door was a rich mahogany and the windows were large and made the Inn look all the more inviting.

The Inn itself was surrounded my large trees with a large tree on the front lawn with an actual tire swing on it. It was perfect and by the smiles on Rosalie and Alice's face, they thought so too.

We dragged our things along the stoned path, unable to take our eyes off the picturesque view that surrounded us. I couldn't help but stare at the sight of the sunlight streamed through the trees above us.

I had a lot of ideas about what it would be like here, but it was more beautiful than I could ever have imagined. It looked like a beautiful sanctuary; the perfect place for the three of us to get some rest and relaxation. Especially Rosalie, already she looked more at ease and with a little more color. Though I didn't know if that was because of the beautiful scenery or because of our hot mechanic.

Suddenly the front door was wrenched open and a small lady around her seventies came rushing out with a welcome smile of on her face.

"I love her," Alice whispered as she giggled.

It wasn't hard to understand why Alice loved the small woman. She was around five feet with silver hair with thick black cats- eyes glasses. She was also wearing a bright pink tracksuit with the words 'Juicy' written across the chest and backside.

I loved her.

"You must be the ladies booked in!" She all bust squealed as she made her way down the porch steps. She moved a lot faster than I would have guessed and I worried slightly that she'd give herself a heart attack.

Though she was breathing heavily when she made it to us, she appeared okay as she pulled each of us into a tight hug.

"I'm Mary Elise and I own and run the Inn. It's been in my family since before God switched the lights on around here," she chuckled. "Here, let me get your bags," she said as she bent down.

"No!" We all rushed out in unison. "I mean, we're fine," Alice added when she looked at us with wide eyes.

Mary Elise suddenly narrowed her eyes. "Don't let the wrinkles and the hair fool you, I'm not dead. Yet," she added with a giggle before turning and leaving us into the house.

The house was as beautiful on the inside as on the outside with its high ceilings, dark hard wood floors and a wide staircase in the entryway.

To the left was a spacious dining room, the table looked like it belonged in a gothic romance novel with its antique styled high back chairs and detailed engraved design in the wood. To the right was the living room. Like the dining room it looked like every piece was an antique but the bright colors could never be described as gothic. What I loved most, though, was that most of the walls were covered with filled book shelves.

"A reader, huh?" I asked with a smile.

Mary Elise just laughed. "This is just the start of it. Like I said, the house has been in my family for generations and we've all been avid readers. There's books in pretty much every room besides the library."

"Library?!" I squawked.

She nodded her head. "We mainly keep the first Editions in the library. This is more my personal collection," she added gesturing around the room with her hand.

I snorted. "Your personal collection makes most book stores look pathetic."

She just shrugged. "I've been reading books longer than most book stores have been in business."

Before I could say anything else a small white and brown object came hurtling at us.

"Down!" Mary Elise snapped at the dog who was currently trying to jump into Alice's arms. Alice was trying her best not to get knocked over by the over excited animal.

"He's okay," Alice managed to gasp out as the dog started to lick her shirt.

"Toddikins is a sweetheart, but he seems to forget that not everyone may welcome being covered in slobber. My grandson certainly doesn't welcome it," she chuckled.

"He's adorable," I laughed as Toddikins came running over to me when he was done was Alice and proceeded to cover me with dog spit. I knelt down and stroked him affectionately behind his floppy brown ears as he looked at me with happiness radiating from him. This is why I liked dogs; they were so sweet and loyal. Unlike a certain writer I knew...

Mary Elise clapped her hands gaining everyone's attention, including Toddikins. "Okay, I'll show you ladies to your rooms." She said as she turned and slowly made her way up the stairs.

"So, how many people are staying in the Inn?" Rosalie huffed as she lugged her largest suitcase behind her.

"Oh, you're the only ones. I haven't actually had guests in five years now," she added casually.

We shared a look of alarm before Alice asked, "I thought you said it was just over a year."

Mary Elise shrugged her shoulders. "It's five. I had a heart attack a while back and the doctor said that I should cut back on stress so I stopped taking in guests."

"Why didn't you tell me that when I called to book the rooms?" Alice asked with a frown.

Mary Elise shrugged. "Because I miss running the Inn. It can get lonely out here with only Toddikins for company. My grandson spends the weekends here, but it's not fair of me to ask him to put his life on hold whilst he comes and visits an old woman. Not that he was grateful when I told him! He just growled and snarled. I swear that boy has a temper problem."

"Maybe we book ourselves into another place. We don't want to put you under any stress and ruin your health," Rosalie muttered.

"Oh, fiddlesticks! I am fine. I think I know better than the doctors and my grandson what I am capable of. You're staying here and that's that."

"Yes ma'am," we replied as followed her up the stairs and into our rooms.

Like everything else I had seen of the house and the grounds, it was beautiful. The room was light and open with the sun streaming through the open window. The furniture was large and the color of beached wood, which I loved. The four poster bed took up most of the room and all but begged me to crash onto in and not get up until the past forty eight hours were erased from my mind.

Mary Elise laughed at my expression before leaving me alone to do just that. Which a squeal of excitement I jumped onto the bed and was asleep within seconds.

* * *

Loud voices awoke me a while later and a glance at the small alarm clock that rested on the bedside table told me I'd been asleep for over four hours and I wondered if Alice and Rosalie were awake.

Climbing off the bed, I scrubbed my hands over my gritty eyes and creeped over to the thick door to find out whose voice was loud enough that it would carry through the huge Inn and through the thick door of my bedroom.

"I told you to call them and cancel, Grandma," A male voice snarled from downstairs.

"And I told you that I wanted them here," Mary Elise snapped back. "You listen to me, boy; I am not dead, senile or ill. I am old enough and ugly enough to know what I am capable of and I resent people telling me otherwise."

Mary Elise's grandson sighed. "I am not telling you what you're capable of; I'm telling you what you're not capable of. This is foolish, grandma. You're not up to this. Why in the world would you want to wait on three spoiled city girls for the next few weeks? You should be relaxing."

"Oh, do shut up," she snapped back. "You're going to wake them up. They're tired and need to rest."

"Oh, they need to rest, do they? We'll see about that," he snapped as he charged up the stairs.

Deciding that this guy pissed me off more than anything and was obviously upsetting Mary Elise because of us it was time to confront him and yell at him over the 'spoiled city girls' comment.

Wrenching over the door I met the jackass out on the hallway and gasped at who was standing in front of me.

"You!"

**A/N**** Hey guys! It's kind of obvious who it is, but why you going to do, huh? Please leave a review and make me happy. It's Easter and I can't have chocolate due to this diet! I need as many happy feeling's as possible to keep me from going on a chocolate binge.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**** Hi guys! Thanks so much for all your ads and reviews. Well, all apart from one who said that she didn't bother to finish the chapter because Edward wasn't there and it was boring. Like I said in my reply, it says more about her that she left a review on a chapter she didn't even finish! Okay, deep breaths Kayleigh. I so wish I could go on the high road and not have given her a bitchy reply but I'm too petty, lol! I don't mind critics but be constructive about it, would you? It keeps me from going all Navy Blue on people's ass. **

**Anywho! As most of you probably guessed (unlike the chick who call it boring because of it) Edward made a guest appearance in the last chapter and now we get to see things from his POV and understand his day, and his mood, a little more. I would love your thoughts on how you see Edward now and your hopes for his future.**

**Please review... if you finish the chapter that is.**

**EPOV**

"I don't care what you think, Edward, I want them here," my grandma snapped as she tucked into her fruit salad at the kitchen table.

"Grandma, try to be reasonable," I pleaded as I took a long pull of my coffee. It was my first cup of the day and I needed twenty before I even could function in the morning. My grandma knew this and yet she decided that now was the time to spring the news on me that she had three guests arriving today for the first time in five years.

"Don't you use that patronizing tone with me, Edward Masen," she growled as she reached for her cranberry juice. Ever since her heart attack she had cut out caffeine, red meat and junk food. She had given me the cold shoulder for a week but I wanted her around for a long time. She was all I had left and I was going to do everything in my power to keep her here and healthy.

"I'm not being patronizing," I argued. "I'm trying to make you see that having three guests show up in the middle of a heat wave won't do your heart any good. You need rest and relaxation."

My grandma groaned as she threw her head back in exasperation. "I have been resting for five years and it's driving me insane! I need to do something. Every single person who has ran the Inn has run it until the day they died and I intend follow in their footsteps. I've been brushing off my responsibilities for far too long and need to get back in the saddle."

I was cut off when my phone began to buzz in my pocket and pulled it out with a scowl.

"What?" I snapped.

"Hello Mr. Masen, I apologize for disrupting you at home, but we have an emergency in the office and Miss. Denali asked me to give you a call straight away."

I frowned as Angela, Tanya's assistant, spoke urgently down the phone. Everyone knew that when I was spending time with my grandma that I wasn't to be disrupted so I knew it must be something big. Shit.

"I'll be there within the hour, Angela. Please inform Miss. Denali of that," I finished as I cut off the call and turned apologetically to my grandma who looked at me with disappointment. I knew she thought I worked too hard, but what could I do?

"I'm sorry, grandma, but Tanya wouldn't ask me to come in if she didn't need me."

She sighed as she got up to take my plate away, pressing a kiss into my wild morning hair before she moved over to the sink. She had refused to let me buy her a dish washer saying that while she could still control her hands she could still use them to clean dishes.

That was my grandma in a nut shell; she was determined to do everything herself. She would always say that as long as she was breathing then she could do anything she set her mind to. It never occurred to her that she was putting her health in danger. That I worried she would leave me.

"I do wish that you would take a break from that office, Edward. Why can't you be the one to sit back and relax, huh? It would do you the world of good."

I smiled as I got to my feet. My grandma may not worry about her own health, but she did worry about mine.

Wrapping my arms around her I said, "Who's going to run my empire without me, huh?" I teased. She often called my business my empire, teasing me for being a sell out as she called it.

"Oh, forget the empire!" she snapped. "I want to see you happy. I want to see you settle down with a good woman and see my grandbabies."

I couldn't help the laugh that escaped. "That's not going to happen for a long time yet, grandma. I could never find a woman who measured up to you," I winked.

Instead of laughing like I expected, my grandma turned to me with serious eyes. "You can't wait around forever, Edward. If you wait while you make millions and until after you find some imaginary girl that measures up to impossible standards you risk losing what's right in front of you. You risk never finding what actually is important; love, family, friendship. No amount of money or success is as important as that is."

I smiled for her sake and nodded my head. I didn't ever intend to settle down with a woman and get married and have kids. My grandma and my business was enough for me. "I will keep my eyes peeled."

She simply shook her head and pushed her glasses up her nose. "You should get ready. Can't keep Tanya waiting now, can we?" she asked, over pronouncing Tanya's name like she always did. She didn't like Tanya. A couple of years back Tanya had traveled to Fairmount to hand deliver some paperwork and had met my grandma who had taken an instant dislike to the 'stuck up sour puss', as my grandma referred to her as.

"I'll be back as soon as possible. Please call those women and tell them to book a room somewhere else. If not then I'll tell them myself when they get here. I don't want you under any unnecessary stress. I mean it," I warned her when she rolled her eyes like an exasperated teenager.

"No," she answered simply as she turned around and whistled for Toddikins to follow her. The German Shepard spared me what seemed a sympathetic glance as he trotted after her into the backyard, leaving me annoyed and worried.

Muttering to myself I ran upstairs and into the bedroom that I'd had since I was born. The room was large, the walls a deep blue with dark mahogany furniture and the four posters bed that the Inn had been known for, which had replaced my smaller bed when I was old enough.

It was the room I had sat for days in after my parent's death, the room that had always felt peaceful and safe to me. The room I came back to after a long day's work and could finally breathe.

I couldn't complain I had set out to make my fortune, following in my father's footsteps. I had made my first million by the age of twenty three with the computer software program I had created and ever since my business had done nothing but grow. I had investments in everything from restaurants to sports equipment. I had a good staff that could run my businesses for me, but I preferred the work.

What else did I have? The only people in my life were my friends and my grandmother. Those were the only people I had let myself get close to and I knew it would always be that way.

Pulling on the only suit I had with me, I quickly headed back down the stairs and shouted a quick goodbye out the back door to my grandma before racing out the house and starting my car.

I was already running late but I decided to stop in at Ellen's and grab me a cup of coffee for the drive. If it was bad enough at work for Tanya to call me then it was bad enough that I knew I'd need shit load of caffeine today.

Pulling up outside Ellen's I noticed a car pulled up on the curb across the street with two women inside that I didn't recognize and also looked royally pissed off. Shrugging it off, I entered the store that I had spent most of my Saturdays in since I was a teenager.

The store was owned by my best friends family, the McCarty's, owned not only the only grocery store in town, but the only bar and Emmett owned a garage. The man knew everything about cars and was the only man I trusted with my _Aston Martin._

Since Emmett's dad wouldn't let us work in the bar, by law, then his mom had given Emmett and I weekend jobs, along with our other friend Jasper Whitlock. It was how I saved for my first car and gave me a little financial independence.

I couldn't see Ellen when I entered the store and quickly made my way to the make it yourself coffee area that she had installed a couple of years back when some tourists had suggested that it may have been a good idea.

I ran through my discussion with my grandma while I made me a nice cup of hot coffee thinking of ways I could get her to agree to let these women spend their stay somewhere else.

I doubted that it would work, but I had to try. No matter what my grandma thought, she couldn't take care of three women for god only knows how long.

I heard Ellen's voice as she spoke to a customer and smiled. I loved Ellen; she was like family to me.

I cursed when I felt my cell phone vibrate in my pocket and rushed to drag it out before I missed the call.

I frowned when I saw that it was Tanya who was calling.

"What's wrong?" I demanded instead of an actual greeting.

"Well, hello to you too, Edward," she drawled. "I was just wondering how long it would be before you showed up. I could really use your help," she bit out.

I knew it killed her to admit that, but her tone was not to be tolerated. "I pay you a small fortune to handle such problems, Miss Denali," I replied coldly. "As to your question, I'll be in as soon as I can. I'll remind you who you work for, though. I'll be there in an hour."

I knew right now her pale cheeks would be flushed in anger and embarrassment, but I couldn't care less. I ran this business, I built it from the ground up and it would do her well to remember that. While I was normally happy to banter with her, I was still the man she deferred to.

"Yes sir," she snapped out. "I'll see you shortly."

Gritting my teeth at her bitchy tone, I closed the phone with a snap and rammed it back into my pocket.

I had hired Tanya to run the company so I could spend my weekends at home. Until this day she had never called me during a weekend and never with such attitude.

Grabbing my coffee, I stormed my way to the cash register and straight into the person Ellen was talking to pouring hot coffee over the both of us.

Seriously? I thought to myself. Did I really need something else to go wrong today? The only suit I had with me was now covered in hot coffee. Awesome.

After everything that had already gone wrong to day with my grandma, the catastrophe I was worrying over at work and the conversation with Tanya I did the stupid, unforgivable thing and blew up at her.

"Are you an idiot?" I snarled. "Why the hell don't you look where you're going you little fool?"

"Excuse me?" The woman asked in front of me.

"Thanks to you and your idiocy, my suit is ruined and I'm going to miss my meeting in an hour. All because you're too stupid and self-involved to notice that there are other people on the planet. Do me a favor and the next time you decide to ruin my day, give me a call so I can steer clear of you."

"Well, so much for small town hospitality," the woman drawled sarcastically. "Ellen you get a ten out of ten, but you, you asshole, are letting the team down. You call me stupid, idiotic and self-involved, but you haven't noticed for a single second that I'm that one that's covered in your scalding hot coffee. Have you even bothered to ask whether or not I have third degree burns? Hell no. You're worried about your suit and missing your meeting. I may have bumped into you, but that was an accident. You, on the other hand, know that I'm covered in coffee and instead of asking whether or not I need immediate medical attention, you jump down my throat. The apology I was about to offer? Screw that. You're lucky I don't deck you on the spot just out of principle." She turned back to Ellen with a smile. "Thank you so much for all your help, Ellen, but I'll wait for your son in my car if that's all right with you. I can change and see how much damage he's done."

With that the woman turned around and walked out of the store leaving me to face Ellen.

The woman who I loved like a mother glared at me. "Your grandma raised you better than that," she hissed. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

"I'm sorry," I muttered as I dropped my gaze to my shoes. No matter my age or accomplishments my grandma and Ellen could still make me feel like a ten year old boy getting yelled at for kicking a football through the stores back window. I had the urge to blame my friends like I used to, but thought she may not be in the mood for memory lane.

The anger in her eyes and her words told me I was right. "What in Gods name has gotten into you? Yelling at that poor girl like that without even a care as to the fact that she was covered in coffee," she snapped.

"Ellen," I began but she cut me off with a glare.

"If your grandma heard you a moment ago you would have been bent over her knee, no matter you age, boy," she growled. "She raised you better than that. Hell, I raised you better than that. And so did your mamma," she added quietly. It still hit its mark though.

It was a low blow, using my mother against me, but it told me just how truly upset she was with me.

"I don't care who you are in your world, boy. I don't care how much money you earn or how much power and respect you have. When you are in my presence, in this town, you will act like the man and the gentlemen you were raised to be. Understood?"

Wanting a hole to appear and swallow me I muttered, "Yes ma'am."

"What?" She snapped her voice as quick and as sharp as a bullet.

I lifted my head to look her directly in the eyes, taking my reprimand like a man just as she had taught me. "Yes ma'am," I repeated.

"Good," she nodded. "The next time you see that girl you apologize to her, understand? I don't care if you are in the middle of CPR. I don't care if Jesus himself has once again resurrected and has come to spread the word of God once more, you tell him your busy. You are going to welcome her to town and beg her forgiveness for your behavior today. You will tell her that you didn't see that she was covered in hot coffee and then ask her if she is okay. Understood?" she barked.

"Yes ma'am."

"Good," she repeated. "Now, get your ass off to that meeting that you are so eager to attend. Your late enough as it is, aren't you?" she added pointedly as she spun on her heel and went out back. Dismissing me.

Obviously I wasn't getting my coffee today.

Cursing the world and everyone in it, I stormed out of the store. As I drove out of town I muttered to myself about stubborn grandmothers, inconvenient guests and women who seemed to get me in trouble.

* * *

My mood was no better by the time I arrived at Masen Enterprises. I was still sulky and surly and covered in dried coffee.

As I did every weekday morning, I parked in my designated spot in the underground parking lot and quickly made my way to the elevator nodding a quick greeting to the security guard that was currently making his rounds as I went.

My office was on the top floor and I couldn't wait to get into my office and changed into the spare suit that I kept there in case of emergencies. While I may be more relaxed at home in Fairmount, in the office I liked to my hard ass, impeccable persona. My staff respected, even feared me and I wanted to keep it that way.

What Ellen had said earlier was true; I was just Edward in Fairmount. I wore worn out jeans and t-shirts, I fished, I camped, I went for a beer with my friends and I looked after my lively grandma. It was the one place where I could be myself.

In the city, in this office and to most of the world, I was Edward Masen, high powered CEO and business man and I wanted to keep it that way, too.

With a cheerful ping the elevator doors opened and I rushed towards my office. The office space was like most, I supposed. The walls were a neutral color and had paintings on the walls by up and coming artists that I was man enough to have no idea who they were or what they were supposed to mean. The floors were made out of some sturdy and ridiculously expensive carpet that was the color of steel.

The air always seemed to smell of coffee, I thought dryly as I glanced at my stained shirt. The sounds of quiet conversation and ringing phones filled the background, not to mention the hissed whispers of the fact that I was here on a Saturday.

A lot of people called me a hard ass for making people work through the weekends, but the way I saw it was that I worked day in and day out, twenty four seven to get my business off the ground and into what it was today. I was here at seven in the morning during the weekdays and I didn't leave until after nine most nights.

After all these years of working my ass off and sacrificing my social life, I still expected nothing less than a hundred percent from myself and so I expected nothing less from my staff. If they didn't want to work weekends and put in the time and dedication that they promised that would in the beginning then they shouldn't be working for me.

Emmett had often said that I needed to pull the stick out of my ass and as one of my oldest friends he could get away with it, but business was business. Business didn't take weekends and holidays off. Jasper would then call me a hypocrite, and as my other oldest friend he could get away with it, too. He said I was a hypocrite because I did take weekends and holidays off but the way I saw it I worked my ass off throughout the years to earn that right.

"Mr. Masen," My secretary, Jessica, nodded solemnly as I rushed past her.

"Jessica," I greeted, ignoring her questioning glance at my shirt. "Please let Miss Denali know I've arrived."

"Yes Mr. Masen," she nodded as she picked her up phone, presumably to call Angela and let her know to pass on the message.

"Thank you," I replied as I walked into my office and sighed with relief.

Knowing I wouldn't have much time, I stripped off my shirt and threw it onto the couch before rushing into the bathroom to find the spare set I had hanging there. I knew I wouldn't have much time before Tanya arrived and I didn't want the added embarrassment of being half naked when she arrived. The last thing I needed was a sexual harassment suit and more bad press.

Once I was changed and feeling a little fresher I re-entered my office and glanced at the bar longingly. After the day I had I could use a drink, but since I didn't want to become an alcoholic anytime in the near future, I gave Jessica a buzz and asked her to bring a vat of coffee into the office which urged a small giggle from her.

I liked Jessica, I thought as I waited for Tanya to arrive. She was in her early twenties, attractive and more importantly, capable of seeing to my needs. Nothing sexually of course, I didn't mix business with pleasure. And to be honest it had been a long time since I mixed pleasure with anything. Yes, when Jessica had first arrived she'd seemed to develop a crush but time had dealt with that.

I couldn't help but think again about the fact that it had been a long time since I'd even been out on a date, never mind actually had sex. Not that I was some sort of play boy. Contrary to what most tabloids thought I didn't have half as much experience with women as everyone believed. To be some sort of sex god you actually needed to have _a lot_ of practice at it and I've been too busy to get in the practice time, I thought with a wince.

It was true though, I admitted. I rarely dated women, rarely slept with them and even if it did end up going further it soon fizzled out when she realised that I was more concerned with work than taking her out to some fancy restaurant. It ended even quicker when I realised that she wanted a relationship and started bringing up words like 'future' and start planning ahead. I didn't want that and I didn't see what was wrong with it. I was honest about it. I always let them know right off the bat that I didn't want it. So why did they always try to change you?

My thoughts of the inner workings on female minds came to a halt when Jessica buzzed through.

"Mr. Masen, Miss Denali has arrived."

"Send her through Jessica, thank you."

"Yes, Mr. Masen."

Two seconds later Tanya Denali entered my office. At five foot nine, she was tall and curvaceous and had legs up to her elbows. Her hair was strawberry blond and sleek and her eyes were an ice cold blue that could turn hot in seconds. She was smart, sexy and more ruthless than most men when it came to getting what she wanted.

"Mr. Masen," she nodded as she walked into my office.

Great, I thought, she was holding a grudge. I shrugged it off, if Tanya wanted to act like a child because I put her in her place earlier then so be it. It would make the day a lot easier.

"Tanya," I nodded and gestured for her to sit. Once she sat, in her on time, most likely trying to prove a point, I came right out with it. "Would you like to inform me why you insisted I come into the office today? You know I like to spend my weekends with my grandmother."

Tanya stiffened, angered by my slight rebuke. "Stuart Rogers committed suicide last night."

I felt the blood drain from my face at her bombshell. Stuart Rogers was the owner of the company I was trying to buy. It had once been a great company, but Rogers had let it slip over the years. I had wanted to buy the company and try and bring it out of the rubble, but Stuart had refused. It was a family company, he had said. He wouldn't sell it to some backwoods hick who was still a boy pretending to be a man.

The boy reference hadn't insulted me. The backwoods hick part had and I made it clear that thanks to him his families company, name and legacy was now being dragged through the mud and if this boy didn't help him out he would be left with nothing. Still he had refused and the company had gone under, just like I had predicted.

"That's awful," I breathed sincerely horrified that things had gotten so bad that he would take his own life.

Tanya shrugged her shoulder carelessly. "The man drunk away his fortune and then away his life. His wife left him, his children wanted nothing to do with him and in a drunken haze he bought a gun and put a bullet in his head."

"Tanya," I muttered in shock. Jesus, did the woman have no compassion. I didn't particularly like the old bastard, but I didn't want him dead. I was more concerned for his family though, the guilt they may feel for turning their backs on him. That wasn't fair to them.

"Jessica," I buzzed.

"Yes Mr. Masen?" She asked breathlessly.

"Please make arrangements to send some flowers to the Rogers family."

"Yes Mr. Masen. Would you like anything on the card?"

I thought about it, wondering if they'd want anything to do with me, but shrugged it off. "Just write on it that if they need anything to get in contact with me."

"Yes Mr. Masen."

I looked back to find Tanya gaping at me. "Why did you do that?"

I glared at her. "Their father just died. Melissa's husband just died."

Tanya's eyes turned to ice once more. "Melissa's husband bad mouthed you all over town."

"What?" I demanded.

"Oh yes! He told anyone who would listen that you were the reason as to why his business went under. You really should read the tabloids, Edward. They may not always get it right, but sometimes they do. It's been all over the papers today, saying that you could be the reason why he drove himself to suicide. He blamed you for everything."

"How? His business was on the path to destruction long before he met me; I just offered to save it."

Tanya rolled her eyes. "He was an old man with old ways. The last thing he wanted was some young hot shot to bail him out."

"I'm thirty four, Tanya," I drawled, but I knew she was right. To him, I was a baby and a lucky one at that.

"You were nothing but a kid in his eyes and you know that. Edward," she said quietly. "The press is dragging you through the mud; the family most likely blames you also."

I shrugged. I didn't care about what the press said. "They've lost someone they love, Tanya. I've done nothing wrong and will offer support should they need it."

"And if they do blame you?" she challenged.

I frowned remembering the days when I had lost my parents. Remembering how I had needed someone to take my grief out on. I had pushed everyone one away, my friends, my grandma... the people who I needed the most and only wanted to help me.

"If they need someone to blame then I don't mind being that person," I told you.

She rolled her eyes up to the ceiling. "Be that as it may, you may change your mind when you learn that people are threatening to take their business elsewhere," she said with a smug look in her eyes.

I felt my eyes narrow. "What? You're telling me this now? Why didn't you tell me this over the phone?" I demanded. As bad as I felt for the Rogers family I wasn't about to let it affect what I worked years to build.

"I didn't think it was something that should be discussed over the phone," she replied primly.

I felt jaw clench. "It wasn't for you to decide though, was it? The next time you take such liberties you'll lose your job, understand?" When she nodded reluctantly, I continued. "Now, get me a list of all the people who want to take their business elsewhere and I'll see what damage control I can do. Get the press on the phone and tell them that everyone at Masen Enterprises, including myself, offers our deepest condolences to the Rogers family for their loss and the grief that they are suffering and are in our thoughts."

"They'll think it's a publicity stunt," Tanya warned.

"It is," I snapped. "Get to it and then do as much damage control as possible. Sweeten the deals if you must, but I want this sorted by the end of the day. Go." I ordered as I got to my feet and left the room, dismissing her rudely, but I was pissed beyond belief. I should have been told immediately and I wasn't bluffing when I said that one more slips up like that and she'd be looking for work elsewhere.

It took the rest of the day and into the evening and more kiss assing that I was comfortable with, but I wasn't about to let my pride get in the way as much as it riled me.

Tanya shuffled back into the room with dinner; sushi for her cheeseburger and fries for me. No matter how much money I earned, no matter the people I knew or the amount of fancy dinners I was invited to, nothing beat a good cheeseburger and never would.

"I don't know how you can eat that rubbish," she said as she sat across from me and tucked into her sushi.

"And I don't know how you can eat raw fish," I shot back as I took a healthy bite out of the burger. God, did anything taste better than this? Doubtful, I decided.

"At least mine won't lead to a heart attack," she laughed and I felt myself relax. As the day had gone on and more and more things got sorted out Tanya and I had eased back into our usual routine.

Tanya and I continued to chat about the close call today, the Rogers' and to great team work as we ate dinner and I couldn't wait to head home. Which reminded me...

"I just have to make a call, okay?"

"Sure," Tanya nodded casually.

Dialing my grandma's number, I waited patiently as the phone rang out; knowing that she often wandered through the garden with Toddikins and could take up to ten minutes to realize that the phone was even ringing.

"Hello?" she answered eventually.

I smiled at the sound of her voice. "Hey beautiful."

"Is this my lover?" she whispered.

I cringed at the thought. "Grandma!" I protested.

She just chuckled down the phone. "Well, only Luka, my sexy younger lover only ever calls me beautiful."

I shook my head in dismay. "Give me an address and I'll break his legs," I threatened without any heat.

"You wouldn't touch him!" She replied in mock anger before spoiling the effect by bursting out into a fit of giggles. "When are you coming home?"

"Soon," I sighed. "Everything's cleared up over here and I'll be back as soon as I finish the cheeseburger than Tanya's raking me over the coals about."

"Tanya, huh?" She asked, her match making voice coming through full force.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't even go there. I'll be back soon. I love you."

"I love you, too," she replied as she hung up the phone.

As I placed the phone back in its cradle I remembered that I hadn't asked her about the guests. Shit.

I turned back to Tanya, but to my surprise she wasn't there. It was then that I felt the brush of gloss covered lip's run across my neck.

Any man who admitted to not having sex in as long as I hadn't, the thought of a beautiful, smart woman that practically radiated sex kissing his neck sounded like heaven. Any man who had blood running in his veins would have been tempted, which part of me was, but the other part of me was horrified!

That was the part of me I listened to as I stopped thinking with my dick when I was twenty three.

"What are you doing?" I demanded as I threw myself away from her.

Tanya looked at me with a sultry smile, her eyes hot and smoky. "What we both want," she responded as she walked up to me and placed her small hands on my chest. "What we both need," she whispered as she leaned up for a kiss.

"No," I said forcefully as I pushed her away from me.

"Oh come on, Edward. Like you've never been tempted," she drawled as fingered the edge of her blouse, meant to draw my attention to the curves of her generous breasts.

"No," I responded. "Yes, you are beautiful and yes any man would most likely kill to be me right now and then laugh their ass off at me for even thinking twice."

"They would," she interrupted with confidence.

I somehow managed not to roll my eyes. "Tanya," I said firmly as I tried again. "You are beautiful, but I don't think of you that way."

"You don't find me sexy?" She asked doubtfully.

I let out a breathless chuckle. "Any man with a pulse would find you sexy. Most women, too. I do find you sexy, but I'm just not interested," I added as carefully as I could. I didn't want to hurt her; I just wanted her to see that I was serious.

"Are you serious?" she demanded in outrage.

"Yes," I replied. "I am sorry, Tanya, but not only do I see you as a friend, but you are my employee and I don't see in shades of grey where that is concerned."

"So, it's because I work for you?"

I huffed out an irritated breath. "Partly, but mainly because while I recognize that you are attractive, I don't want to sleep with you," I pointed out bluntly. "I know that you are sexy. I just have never been tempted by you. I am sorry, but that's the truth."

"No man has ever turned me down," she replied in what sounded like the beginnings of shock.

"Then maybe you've just been with the wrong men," I offered. "Goodnight Tanya. I say that we pretend that this never happened."

I made my way around her like she was a homemade nuclear bomb, ready to detonate at any second. She just sat that, her cheeks beginning to flush with embarrassment.

Quickly, I exited the office and all but ran down to my car.

"Women," I muttered in disgust.

On the drive home I contemplated what had just happened. Did she seriously find it that much of a shock that I had turned her down? That any man would turn her down, for that matter. Why? Did I look like the sort of man that would just jump into bed with any random woman? I may not be into long term relationships, but I was as far from being a man whore as you could possibly get. I had been raised better. I had been raised to not only respect women, but myself. Sleeping with anything that moved, in my eyes, didn't show much self-respect.

Emmett and Jasper were the same. They had relationships, extremly casual ones, but they were careful with the women they spent time with. They were honest, sometimes to a fault, and didn't lead anyone on. Their mothers had taught them to be better than then boys who ran around breaking girl's hearts and not caring about picking up the pieces afterwards.

Was that wrong? No! I happened to think that's the right thing to do. If you are going to be as close to someone as you could physically get, then you should care about them. You should know them. I doubted many men thought that way but I did.

I was lost in my thoughts on this and on Tanya and how much I dreaded Monday morning, when I arrived home.

Finally!

All I wanted now was to go bed and forget this day ever even happened. Forget that Tanya tried to seduce me tonight and just sleep. Tomorrow I would go for a beer with the guys and they'd help me see the funny side of it, but it just wasn't happening so far.

When I got into the house my grandma was sitting on the couch. Waiting up for me, I thought. She had always waited up for me when I was younger and she still did it now. Hell, she waited up for me to call every night. It was a tradition I loved and no matter what I was doing, no matter how busy I was, I always made time to call her to ask about her day and wish her goodnight.

"Your home," she said quietly.

"I'm sorry I was gone for so long today," I apologized as I leaned down to kiss her cheek. "You look tired," I said with a frown. She looked pale and had shadows under her eyes.

A guilty look crossed her face.

"Grandma," I said darkly.

"Don't you take that tone with me, young man. This is my house and I'll say who comes here and I'll say who leaves."

"Oh really?" I challenged as I stormed past her and made my way to the stairs.

"You get back here, Edward Masen," she shouted from behind me.

"No! Look at you! Your health is more important than your pride, grandma. I'll make other arrangements, hell I'll pay for their entire stay, but I won't let you risk yourself."

"Edward!"

"I told you to call them and cancel, grandma," I snarled as I reached the first step. Angry with myself for not being here to help her, for not making sure she didn't take on more than she could handle. When would she start taking care of herself?

"And I told you that I wanted them here," she snapped back. "You listen to me, boy; I am not dead, senile or ill. I am old enough and ugly enough to know what I am capable of and I resent people telling me otherwise."

I sighed. "I am not telling you what you're capable of; I'm telling you what you're not capable of. This is foolish, grandma. You're not up to this. Why in the world would you want to wait on three spoiled city girls for the next few weeks? You should be relaxing."

"Oh, do shut up," she snapped again. "You're going to wake them up. They're tired and need to rest."

"Oh, they need to rest, do they? We'll see about that," I snapped as I stormed up the rest of the stairs and onto the hallway.

It was then that the door swung open and I was face to face with a sleepy, pissed off woman.

"You!" she gasped and it was then that I recognized her.

It took me a second to recognize her with the messed up hair, but the fire in her dark eyes and the coffee stain on her bright yellow share gave it away.

It was the woman from Ellen's store. The one I had promised to apologize to and welcome to town properly. It seemed that she had overheard out conversation and once again I was coming up short. Not that I could blame her, I hadn't exactly given her the best impression of me.

For the first time I actually took notice of what she looked like. Though her hair was obviously mussed up and her eyes were slightly puffy from sleep, she was without a doubt, the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Dark mahogany hair, pale skin and chocolate brown eyes that looked at me with disdain. She was around five foot four and full of curves that I appreciated. Her exposed legs were shapely and I had the strangest urge to reach out and see if they were as soft as they seemed.

Shocked by my own reaction, I forced myself to look at her face. Big mistake, all I noticed were her fully, kissable lips. What was wrong with me? Tanya had basically offered herself up on a silver platter and I hadn't been half as tempted to touch and taste as I was when I looked at this woman.

My temptation ended when she opened that beautiful mouth. "What the hell is wrong with you? Whenever I see you, you seem to be yelling at someone. For the second time today you are ruining my delusions that men from the South are charming and sexy. Stop doing that! You are upsetting you grandmother and I won't accept that. Either go to bed or take a walk and calm the hell down. Good night Mary Elise," she added pleasantly as she turned her back to me and opened the door.

"Good night, Bella." My grandma chuckled.

Bella.

The woman, Bella, turned back before she closed the door. "And I am not a spoiled city girl," she snapped at me before closing the door with a small click.

I turned back to my grandma with a wince.

"That told you," she giggled.

I groaned, knowing that I had made an ass of myself.

"What is wrong with you today, Edward?"

Knowing that I had behaved terribly, I knew it was time to start making amends and while Bella would probably slap my face and grin while she did it, I could make it up to my grandma and apologize.

"I worry about you," I admitted with a shrug. "You're all I have so when you do things that threaten your health I get a little stir crazy. I'm not saying it's the right thing, I'm not saying that I behave the way I should and the way you raised me, but it's the truth. I love you, grandma and I'm sorry for acting like an ass today."

My grandma stood there with a small smile and walked over to pull my cheek down for a kiss. "You're forgiven. But, please, try to trust me when I say I know what I'm capable of. Also, please make it up with Bella and the other girls. They are really sweet and even offered to find somewhere else but I insisted."

I flinched. "Can I have put my ass in it any more than I have?"

She giggled. "Most likely not. But the good thing about first impressions is that they're not always lasting and, if you're lucky, you have the chance to change it. In your case it would be Bella's third impression, but still," she laughed. "Go to sleep and tomorrow all will be better."

"You sure?" I asked doubtfully.

"Well, it can't get any worse," she teased. "Go to bed. I love you."

"I love you, too," I said as I pulled her into my arms and held her tight. "More than anything."

**BPOV**

I blinked back tears at the words I heard Mary Elise's grandson mutter to her. So he wasn't that much of a jackass then, I thought with a smile. No one who obviously loved their grandmother as much as he did could be the asshole he appeared to be.

Yes, I had eavesdropped shamelessly when I had closed the door on him, but I couldn't help it.

Climbing back into bed, I smiled as I thought about all that had happened today. Now I thought about it, it was kind of funny.

Laughing as inspiration struck, I turned on the bedside lamp and reached for the pad and pen that I always kept close by. It had been a long time since I had done this, but tonight the need was so strong I knew I wouldn't get any sleep if I didn't.

So I did what I always did when thoughts and ideas were flying through my head; I wrote.

**A/N**** So, this is the longest chapter I have ever done, like EVER! Don't get used to it. I just needed a lot covered in this chapter. I really would like to know your view on Edward so please let me know!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**** Hi guys so sorry for such a late update, but I do have an excuse. There's been work, friends, family, and a death in the family. And then a few days ago, when I was going to finish the chapter, I passed out at work, bashed my head off the till and threw up in front of my future husband (who is unaware that he is my betrothed) and had to be carted off to the hospital... good times. I should be finished with my other story soon The Hunters Heart (to those of you who care I'm working on that chapter now) and again I'm really sorry for the late update, but's it was just unavoidable. **

**Please review!**

**BPOV**

I awoke to the sound of birds chirping and the bright, warm sun streaming through the window. Was there anything better than waking up to this? I wondered as I stretched out on the bed like a contented cat.

After the night spent in the motel room from hell and the long car journey, spending the night in the large, comfortable bed was exactly what I needed. I reminded myself to kneel at Mary Elise's feet and weep in gratitude. The woman had good beds!

With a bright smile I swung my feet over the side of the bed and padded across the room to look out the window. The sky was a brilliant blue without a single cloud; the trees were green and full. It was exactly what I thought it would be.

All I needed now was a sexy cowboy to stroll across the grass all broad shoulders and strong muscles. _Oh my_, I sighed mentally and then couldn't help but giggle at myself. Man, I felt so freakin' happy!

Deciding that I had spent enough time staring out the window and dreaming of my very own T.C Kilkenny, I threw open my bags and dug inside to pull out my bright pink toiletry bag and shampoo and conditioner. Normally I went with my favorite strawberry scented brand, but I found it kind of boring lately and changed to a passion flower scent with pearl extracts. I felt fresh and revitalized already.

I found myself singing (off key) in the shower to Bruno Mars and I had to take a moment to calm myself before I began my shaving routine. The last thing I needed was to hack out a chunk of flesh because I was excited to start my day.

After jumping out the shower, I dried and styled my hair in the large mirror above the sink and counter space and frowned at my hair. It was long and full, the natural red highlights giving my brown hair life, but, like with my shampoo, I was bored of the same old style. I never took chances with it. Time for another change, I decided with a laugh.

Dressing in my new white summer dress and gladiator sandals I squirted a healthy blob of sun tan lotion onto the palm of my hand and spread it over my arms and shoulders (because I tended to go tomato red in the sun) and headed downstairs.

Part of me was glad that Mary Elise's grandson wasn't in the kitchen when I entered, I didn't want an uncomfortable breakfast to ruin my good mood. The other part of me was disappointed; the man did give me inspiration...

"Morning!" Mary Elise greeted as she and Toddikins came in through the back door.

"Good morning," I beamed back. "And good morning to you, handsome," I crooned to sweet dog. "Oh look out," I muttered as she nosed my crotch area. Why did they always go for the crotch?

"Toddikins!" Mary Elise snapped. "Stop being such a man. You take a seat at the table sweetie and I'll bring over your breakfast." She instructed absently as she scowled at her dog.

I shook my head. "I can get it."

"Pish tosh! You go and sit," she ordered firmly.

"Yes ma'am," I nodded as I took my seat at the table.

"Now, your friends aren't up yet, so you get first pick. What do you want, sugar pie?"

I smiled at her. "I'll take a bowl of the fruit salad, please," I asked as I pointed towards the large bowl of chopped fruit on the counter.

Mary Elise smiled before happily bringing over a large bowl of fruit and placed it in front of me.

"Thank you," I said as she poured me a glass of orange juice and joined me at the table. I frowned when she placed a plate of pancakes in front of me.

She grinned at me. "The way I've always seen it, is that if you be good then you get to be a little bad, too."

I couldn't help but laugh. "You're like that little devil that sits on everyone's shoulder and tries to tempt them, aren't you?"

"I was the very first one," she claimed proudly.

Unable to resist the way her eyes twinkled mischievously or the delicious pancakes, I forked a pile onto a plate. "Oh my god, they're amazing," I groaned as I bit into the warm pancakes. How she kept them warm, I don't know nor did I care. The woman was magical.

"I have to apologize for last night," Mary Elise spoke quietly as she picked at her own fruit salad.

"What?" I demanded with a frown, pushing away the pancakes before I forgot all about portion control.

Mary Elise breathed deeply, seemingly gathering her thoughts before looking into my eyes, the laughter and the mischief gone. Toddikins placed his head on her lap as if he were giving her moral support and got rewarded a piece of bacon.

"Edward is a good boy. He may not seem it from what you saw, and heard, last night, but he is a good boy. I just hope he didn't offend."

I reached over to place my hand over hers. "He's a bit of a jackass," I replied making her laugh. "But he obviously cares about you. A blind person could see that. You don't have to worry about him offending me, he didn't. Well, not that time anyway."

Mary Elise frowned. "What does that mean?"

I winced. I didn't want to get the man in anymore trouble and obviously he hadn't mentioned the fact that we had already met to his grandmother.

"Well, you remember the mess I was in yesterday?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with Edward?"

"Well..." I trailed. "He was kind of the reason I was covered in coffee. We bumped into each other at Ellen's yesterday and he kind of snapped my head right off. Just a misunderstanding, I'm sure," I hastened to add when her eyes darkened with anger.

"I swear I'm going to paddle that boy when he comes down. I raised him better than that," she added almost defensively.

"Oh, I have no doubt about it. I'm sure he was just having a bad day." I shrugged. Yes, I wanted an apology out of the man, but I didn't want to give him any grief with his grandmother.

"Humph," Mary Elise huffed as she drank her iced tea. "So, honey, what is it that you do? You and your friends planning to stay here for a few weeks, won't they miss you?" She asked curiously.

I shook my head. "Alice has her own business and it's been organized so that she can have a break. She's earned it, they both have," I added sincerely. As her curious look, I continued. "Rosalie is a defense attorney and she's just finished up a really bad case. It's taken a lot out of her," I sighed remembering the late nights, the circles under her eyes and the stress that had seemed to follow her no matter what we did. Hopefully that would change soon.

"And you?"

"Well, I'm a writer so I can pretty much work wherever I am. So, we're good," I smiled.

Mary Elise's eyes lit her with excitement. "A writer? What sort of things do you write? I'm embarrassed to say I haven't heard of you," she admitted with a charming blush.

I laughed and waved off her embarrassment. "Oh, you wouldn't. I don't go by Bella Swan; my books are authored as I.M Swan."

I was cut off by the woman's squeal, but before I could ask she was gone. Man, the woman could move.

"Mary Elise?" I called out, worried about her.

The older woman came tumbling through the kitchen door with a stack of worn out paperbacks and a pen. "Please sign them!" she begged as she dropped the books onto the table, nearly knocking over the syrup and almost sending the pancakes crashing to the ground. Luckily I caught them in time and would always be proud of my quick reflexes for once.

"Oh my god," I murmured when I saw every single one of my books were spread out on her table. All of them were worn; obviously they had been re-read many times which never failed to melt my heart.

"You're I.M Swan. That's amazing! I love your books, they're so young and fresh and funny and I love them," Mary Elise gushed.

It was strange to meet someone who so obviously enjoyed my books. I'd never done much press with my books so this was new to me. Alice, Rosalie and my family always supported me and read everything I'd wrote, but they were my family it was different.

"Wow," I muttered. "You have them all."

"Of course, I do. My favorite is _The Run_. I just loved Kaia and Reid. I don't know how you came up with it, but I have read it too many times to remember," she laughed.

"You like supernatural romances?" I asked numbly as I picked up the copy of the book she spoke of. It looked like it was hanging on for dear life. I took care of my books, but I'd had a few copies like this. I had read them too many times and worn it out. I liked the fact that she'd done that with mine.

_The Run_ was one of my earlier books and the least successful out of all of them. My readers preferred cute, quirky human stories to darker stories about werewolves and kidnapping.

"Not usually, but your books really got me into the genre. None have ever compared to this, of course, but I really enjoyed it. I loved Kaia's relationship with her brother Fynn and how she was determined to survive even when the odds were against her. She was brave and strong and yet vulnerable at the same time. Wonderful," she sighed.

I could feel a blush spread across my cheeks. "I don't know what to say," I shrugged.

Mary Elise grasped my hand. "You don't have to be embarrassed. You are really talented, Bella."

I felt my breath leave my lungs in a rush. Despite turning my life around the words Jacob had cruelly said about my work had hurt and it had put a dent in my confidence. Last night was the first time inspiration had struck in a long time and now, hearing Mary Elise's words and seeing the sincerity in her eyes... I finally felt my confidence begin to grow again.

"Thank you," I murmured.

"Oh, honey, why the tears?" She whispered as she cupped my cheek. The gesture was so sweet; it didn't even enter my mind that I had only just met this woman. She was warm, I decided and I understood why Edward was so insistent on keeping her safe and healthy, even if he did come off as asshole because of it.

"That's just really nice, that's all. A while back someone important to me. He..."

"He put down something that meant a lot to you," she finished, understanding lighting her eyes. Unable to answer without bawling like a baby, I nodded my head. Mary Elise tucked her finger under my chin and brought my eyes up to hers. "Then maybe he wasn't so important after all. If a man puts down something important to his woman then he's not much of a man in my mind. Asshole is what he is," she muttered making me laugh.

"Maybe," I answered. "So," I smiled. "I'm guessing the pen means you want me to sign these?"

Mary Elise nodded her head eagerly. "Yes please. Oh, I can't wait to tell the girl from book club about this. We have a meeting every Wednesday. I don't suppose you'd consider joining us?" she asked hesitantly.

I nearly laughed. This woman had welcomed us into her home, gave me the best night's sleep of my life, served pancakes that the Gods would kill to get their hands on and genuinely liked my work. How could I ever refuse her? "I would love to join you."

She clapped her hands excitedly before pulling me into a bear hug. For a small woman she was pretty strong, I thought as she all but crushed my bones.

"Are we interrupting something?" An amused voice asked from behind us.

We turned around to see Alice and Rosalie standing in the doorway. "Why aren't you dressed?" I demanded as Mary Elise let me go.

Alice rolled her eyes. "It will take five minutes, Bella," she assured me as they joined us at the table.

Now it was _my_ turn to roll my eyes. "Five minutes, my ass."

"Excuse me?" Mary Elise demanded with a raised eyebrow.

"Sorry," I muttered, breathing a sigh of relief at the laughter I saw dancing in her eyes.

Clapping her hands Mary Elise got to her feet, it was then I realised that she was wearing the same sweats she had on yesterday only now in a canary yellow and I had to bite the inside of my cheek. Just how many did she have? "Ladies, what would you like for breakfast?"

Rosalie followed Mary Elise over to the kitchen counter where enough food was spread out to feed a party of fifty. "Mary Elise you are a Goddess from above! Can I have a bit of everything?" She asked eagerly.

"Of course!" she replied as she piled food onto a plate for Rosalie. "I love it when people eat," she laughed.

"Well, we should get along just fine then, because I love to eat," Rosalie responded with a chuckle. I took a minute to take in the beautiful blond. Rosalie hadn't been much for eating since she took on her last case. She had lost weight, gained dark circles under her eyes and had become almost as pale as me.

Now, she had obviously gained her appetite back, the dark circles were there, but not as prominent as before and her face had a little color. If this is the effect it had on her in one night then I knew this place was the place to be. It was nice to see her looking like her old self and a good night's sleep in a good atmosphere had done it to her and I had this house and Mary Elise to thank.

Once we were all served breakfast (Alice having the same as Rosalie) Mary Elise took Toddikins into the backyard to do some gardening, wearing a huge hat and sunglasses that belonged in an old Hollywood movie, not in a small town in Georgia.

"You'll never guess what happened last night," I hissed as the back door closed.

Rosalie and Alice glanced at me with curious eyes. "Did you get probed?" Rosalie asked with her mouth full.

I rolled my eyes. "No, I did not get probed, Rose! Though I know that's on your bucket list. It turns out that the guy from Ellen's-"

"The one who almost gave you third degree burns and then yelled at you about it?" Alice interrupted.

Rosalie tapped on her chin. "He does ring a bell," she muttered casually.

"You're both hilarious," I drawled. "Seriously, you should go on tour! Now it you'd let me finish I can tell you funny people about the fact that the jackass from the Ellen's store is none other than Mary Elise's beloved grandson, Edward." I grinned when their jaws dropped.

"No way!" Alice gasped.

"I love the drama that is happening right now," Rosalie added.

"Oh, yeah, it's like an episode of _One Tree Hill_," I replied with a laugh before launching into what happened last night.

"We're not spoiled city girls!" Alice growled after I'd finished. "Asshole."

"We are a little spoiled, Alice," Rosalie chuckled. "But he didn't know that so it does make him an asshole. I just can't believe we slept through all that. Poor Mary Elise," she mumbled in sympathy.

I shook my head in denial. "No, you should have heard him when he spoke to her after I'd shut the door, he loves her. He adores her. I think he was just worried about her health and just went about it the wrong way."

Alice scowled at me. "I don't care, I still vote for him to remain in the 'Asshole' category," she fumed.

"Retract the claws, Alice," Rosalie laughed.

My laughter stopped abruptly when I saw Edward walking into the room. Oh god. The girls must have noticed my reaction because they instantly quieted.

It was then that Edward noticed us and stopped dead in his tracts. If I didn't feel so awkward it would have been comical. It only took him a minute to move again, but he reminded me a little of a robot as he walked stiffly to the coffee pot on the kitchen island and quietly poured himself a cup.

Alice and Rosalie looked at me with wide eyes as we sat in an uncomfortable silence. I had always thought the expression _'You could cut the tension with a knife' _was a little over the top. Now I didn't. It was silent and uncomfortable; no one seemed to even breathe until Edward had exited the room.

"That was adorable," Alice giggled.

"Now that was uncomfortable," Rosalie argued. "Besides, I thought he was in the 'Asshole' category. What happened to that?" she asked with a smug grin.

Alice scoffed. "Come on! That was so cute. He just stood there and then quietly poured himself a cup of coffee before running out of here like a bat out of hell."

"And now we're quoting Meat Loaf," I teased.

Alice rolled her eyes as she bit into a piece of bacon. "All I'm saying is that was freakin' adorable. He kept glancing up at you, you know?"

"He did?" I demanded.

"Yeah," she nodded. "While you two were incredibly interested in your breakfast, I was taking the time to check him out. He's a hottie! Still a jackass until the juries in, but a hottie all the same."

I sighed as I sipped my coffee. "This is going to be really awkward for the next couple of weeks."

"Not really," Alice replied. "Mary Elise said that he only came down on weekends; just avoid him like the plague when he's here."

I shook my head. "That's not going to work. This is his home and he's obviously uncomfortable with me being here."

"Should we find another place to stay?" Rosalie asked as she stole a blueberry from my fruit bowl. She looked as reluctant to leave as I felt. I liked it here; I liked the Inn and I really liked Mary Elise, she seemed so happy to have guests. How could I tell her we were leaving?

With a sigh I got to my feet. "I'm going to go track him down and see if we can forget everything. If not, then we'll have to try and book somewhere else to stay. It's his home," I shrugged.

With another sigh I made my way to the kitchen door. I gasped when something hard, or rather someone hard came crashing into me and hot, boiling coffee was once again tipped over me.

"Are you freakin' serious?!" I yelled. "Seriously?"

Edward stood there looking humiliated and contrite but none of that registered compared the burning pain I felt on my chest.

"I am so sorry," he apologized instantly and sincerely. That was something I guessed.

"Yeah," I breathed as I hurried passed him, ignoring my friends as they called out to me.

Once in my room I ripped my nice white and incredibly coffee stained dress off and rushed into my bathroom in search of a first aid box. Unlike at Ellen's, Mary Elise served her coffee scalding hot and I dreaded to see the damage on my chest.

Carefully, I stripped off my bra and then nervously looked at my reflection in the mirror and breathed a sigh of relief. While my skin was bright red and seemed to have its own pulse, the skin hadn't broken and it hadn't begun to blister. Hopefully it would stay that way.

I found the dark green first aid box in the bathroom cabinet and quickly found a salve that would soothe the burn and keep me from a trip to the hospital. I wanted to tour the town and all, but the hospital wasn't the place Id had in mind. It took me a while to clean the burn before adding the salve to my skin.

Sighing I picked up my ruined dress and filled the sink with water and left it to soak before heading to the closet to find something else to wear. This morning I had felt sunny and fresh and now all I felt is hot, sweaty and uncomfortable. Digging out my sleeveless green and purple tie-dye shirt and white shorts, I pulled them on and felt a little better for it. The shirt was loose and thin so it didn't come into contact with my burned skin.

Grabbing my purse, and my salve, I headed back down the stairs and prayed that I wouldn't have another run in with Mary Elise's grandson.

I found Alice and Rosalie on the front porch sipping iced tea and noticed absently that while I was seeing to aftermath with my run in with Edward, the girl's had showered, dressed and were now ready to go. _How long was I in there?_ I wondered.

"Hey honey! How are you doing?" Alice asked with a frown.

I smiled as I held up my jar. "I'll be fine. Have you seen him?"

Rosalie laughed. "You mean after you brushed him off and he stared after you like a scolded puppy? No. He just looked like he wanted to die for about three seconds before ducking for cover. I doubt we'll see him again today."

"Good," I sighed. "You know, I don't usually make an outstanding first impression, but it's normally better than this. For some reason whenever we bump into each other we either yell at each other or I get dunked with hot coffee."

"You just have that effect on people," Alice giggled as she got to her feet. "So, what do you want to do today? Or we could stay here, you know? Watch Bella get humiliated and burned again," she added cheerfully.

"Stop. I'm dying with laughter," I replied deadpanned.

Rosalie got to her feet with a laugh. "How about we just visit the town today, see what's there, what's to do."

"Yeah and I want to get my hair cut." I told them with a smile.

"Cool! A trip to the salon, just the type of day I enjoy. Let's say goodbye to Mary Elise and head into town. Should we get a cab?" Alice asked.

Rosalie shook her head as we headed through the house to the backyard. "No, it's a nice day and a walk would be good. I don't want to be in another car just yet," she added with a shudder.

"Does she know about what happened earlier?" I asked.

"No," Rosalie responded with a shake of her head. "I thought it best not to worry her."

I nodded in agreement. I didn't want to cause any more stress between the two of them.

We found Mary Elise sitting on the grass, tending to her flowers.

"We're heading into town, Mary Elise!" Alice called out.

She turned to us with a bright smile. "You have a good time sweeties!"

"Bye." We all replied before turning and heading out the door, ready to see what the town had to offer.

* * *

The town was absolutely beautiful. It was sunny and bright with trees and pretty houses and a beautiful park where children played and laughed and even Rosalie, a proud cynical New Yorker admitted that the place was perfect. After being in the noisy, crowded city all our lives it was nice to be somewhere that was quiet and picturesque.

The town had a single street where all their stores seemed to be. There were clothing stores (Alice insisted we hit that one), bookstore, Veterinarians office, Doctors office, a diner and more small shops that we were all excited to explore. Especially the salon!

The salon was small but pretty and stylish. The walls were painted a warm red, the chairs soft mahogany leather and the each station has a black framed mirror. I loved that since I had a fascination with watching my hair stylist as they worked. I used to worry I would come off ignorant and rude until my stylist had laughed and told me that most people liked to watch intently when a complete stranger held a pair of scissors to their head.

"Hi there!" A young woman with blonde hair and dark eyes greeted us in the southern drawl that I was becoming used to. "I'm Irina, how can I help you ladies today?"

"Hi, Irina, we were wondering if you'd be able to fit us in today." Alice replied with a smile at the pretty woman in front of us.

Irina laughed before she gestured around the nearly empty salon. "As you can see, today is kind of slow. In fact, you'll be doing us a favor; we've been sitting in here twiddling our thumbs all morning! So, what can we do for you?"

Rosalie grinned. "We want the works!"

For the next hour we were primped and pampered, cut and washed and dried. When Irina had stepped up behind me and asked what I wanted I nearly broke into a sweat. Talking about cutting your hair and doing it were two completely different things.

"Relax, Bella," Alice laughed from her seat beside me. She sat there completely confident and relaxed even though most of her short hair was covered in sheets of tin foil. "Do you remember how long my hair used to be?"

"Yeah," I responded. Up until a couple of years ago Alice's hair had reached her ass. Alice had loved it so much that she had never had more than a trim, until one day she had come home with hair chopped off and nearly given Rosalie and I a heart attack.

"I needed a change," Alice shrugged. "I haven't regretted it since. The beautiful thing about this day and age is that you can look however you want. Not much is permanent anymore, not a wedding and not a tattoo. If it sucks then we can get you a wig or some extensions. Or a really big hat!" She laughed.

"Thanks Alice," I drawled sarcastically.

"All I'm saying is that no one can be much worse than I was. I may have come to you all calm and cool, but I nearly bit the hair stylist." At Irina's gasp Alice looked up at her and grinned. "Don't worry; I'm the only panic biter out of the three of us."

"That's good to know," Irina drawled. "So, honey, what do we want to do?" She asked as she placed her hands on my shoulders.

It took me the next ten minutes looking through _Google Images _but I finally found a style I liked. "I want this!" I said excitedly as I handed my phone over to Irina who nodded in approval.

When Alice caught a glimpse she groaned. "Come on, Bella, that's not very risqué! I thought you wanted a change."

It was Irina who answered as I glared at my friend. "Actually, the bangs would be a dramatic enough change in her appearance as well as the layering and feathers. She's got such healthy, thick hair; it would have been a shame to cut it all off. You sure, honey?" She asked me one last time.

Boosted by her assurance that while I wasn't going for the pixie cut, like Alice, I nodded my head with a smile and watched as she brought the scissors to my hair and the first piece fell to the ground.

"This is amazing!" I gasped when Irina had finished styling my freshly cut hair.

"Thank you," she giggled as she ran her fingers through it making sure everything was even.

"No, seriously, you are a genius!" I insisted. I looked like _Melinda Gordon_, which is exactly what I wanted. The thick bangs slightly swept the side and my long hair was no layered, feathered and looking healthier than it had in years.

As we settled up at the cash register, leaving a big tip for the stylists who had made us feel human again after the trip from hell, I turned to Irina. "We wanted to go get something to eat; do you know a good place?"

Irina smiled. "In a town this small the only place to go is the diner, but don't worry the food is amazing! And I'm not saying that just because my husband works there," she giggled.

"What's his name?" Rosalie asked.

"Lo. Or Laurent," she shrugged. "His mamma's family was French and so he got named after his great granddaddy. It was his daddy that started calling him Lo when he was knee high and it kind of just stuck. Much to his mammas disapproval."

I couldn't help but smile. "Well, after today, I trust your judgment."

"Is there any bars or anything in town?" Alice asked as she purchased a bottle of leaving on conditioner.

Irina nodded. "There's not much unless you want to drive into the city, but our local bar that's run by the McCarty family is pretty good."

"Ellen's family?" I asked.

"Yes! It's good. In the day you can take the kids there for something to eat and at night there's drinking and dancing. But you don't need to worry about trouble, though is from time to time. The men around here look after the women," she winked.

Alice smiled. "I think we'll check this out. Why don't you come? Let us say thank you again for today."

Irina smiled and her eyes brightened up. "I might just do that."

**EPOV**

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Seriously?!"

"For crying out loud, yes!" I snapped as Jasper clutched his stomach and bent over in a fit of laughter.

Jasper Whitlock was one of my best friends. With his tall frame, blue eyes and good looks he was every woman's fantasy. With his southern charm, quiet manner and respectful ways, he was every mothers dream.

He also had his own veterinary and lived in the rooms upstairs since he tended to take his home with him. Two years ago, his wife, Maria, had moved in until she decided small town life wasn't enough for her, that Jasper wasn't, and left without a backward glance.

If Emmett or I ever caught the woman I'm sure we'd end up prison for murder. And be proud of it.

"Are you done yet?" I demanded.

"I'm sorry, Edward, I'll just stick a needle in this girl's leg because you're hungry. Don't you worry, Penny, he's just grumpy because he assaulted a woman today. It has nothing to do with you," he assured the puppy as he gave her a shot of anti-biotic while she looked up at him adoringly.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not saying stab her, I'm saying that I'm hungry!"

"You're always hungry," he replied absently.

"No, that's Emmett," I argued. "Who will piss and moan for an hour if we don't get going."

"Alright," he muttered as she finished up and placed the puppy in her cage. "Who's a beautiful girl, huh?" He crooned as he rubbed her chin and the puppy gave him a playful nip in return.

"I want to keep her," Jasper chuckled as he pulled off his white lab coat and hung it up.

"I'm sure the owner will be impressed," I teased.

"I can make her change her mind," Jasper winked at me.

I couldn't help but laugh. The owner was in her eighties and had a huge crush on not only Jasper, but Emmett and I. We always left her company with sore ass cheeks due to her pinches.

"Let's roll," Jasper grinned as opened the door.

The waiting area was empty, as it always was at this time. The only person in there was Angie, Jasper's secretary who always looked after him with longing in her eyes. Jasper didn't see a thing as he gave her an absentminded goodbye. _Poor thing_, I chuckled mentally.

"Are you serious?" I teased as Jasper jumped in the passenger seat.

"What?" he asked with a confused frown.

"Angie." I answered.

He gave me a blank look. "Yeah? What about her?"

I shook my head. "Do you seriously not see the way she looks at you? It's like she's starving and you're a nice big, juicy steak."

"Don't be stupid," he snorted as he changed the radio station to a station with Tim McGraw playing.

"No, dude, open your eyes. That girl has got it bad for you."

Jasper frowned. "Well, fuck, what am I supposed to do? Angie's a nice girl."

I shrugged. "Ask her out then," I replied as I pulled onto the street.

Jasper shook his head. "No, I mean she's nice. I wouldn't want to hurt her. She's a relationship kind of girl and the last thing I want from any woman is a relationship," he said honestly.

I nodded in agreement. In the past two years since Maria had left and crushed Jaspers self-respect and heart he hadn't been on more than one date with any woman. He refused to put himself out there. I didn't blame him; I was the same but for different reasons. Emmett thought we were both screwed up.

"Don't worry about it," I muttered. "Give it time and it'll blow over."

"I hope so. She's a damn good secretary."

I couldn't help but laugh at his concerns. "Your cold, man."

"No, I'm logical. I don't want a relationship with her, with anyone, but I'm also not into her. We've grown up together, it would be like sleeping with my cousin," he shuddered.

"We are Southern," I teased and had to bite my lip at the look Jasper gave me. Out of the three of us, Jasper was the most proud of being a Southern man and nothing pissed him off more than a good old Southern incest joke.

"You're an asshole," He muttered as we turned onto the high street. Or our towns version of it anyway.

"So tell me again why you threw coffee all over some poor woman," Jasper said casually, earning a scowl from me.

"I didn't throw anything over her. It was an accident," I insisted.

"Both times," he chuckled and I leaned over to punch his arm. "Really mature."

"Look, the first time she ran into me... I think," I added trying to remember who crashed into whom. "The second time I didn't even see her and we just kind of... collided," I finished lamely.

"I'm surprised she didn't deck you!" Jasper chuckled and I had to join in. I wouldn't have blamed the woman. I had been nothing but a jackass to her and I'd burned her with hot coffee. Twice.

I was still laughing when I spotted her and two women on the street. One of the women was tall, statuesque, undeniably beautiful and blond. The other woman was small, with short dark hair and large eyes and made me think that's what Tinkerbell would have looked like had she had black hair.

The third was her. She had taken off the pretty white dress that she had worn this morning and was now wearing some short of tie-dye sleeveless shirt and white shorts that showed off her pale, shapely legs.

_Whoa_, I thought to myself. I had noticed before that she was beautiful, but she truly was sexy as hell.

_And she thinks you're the biggest prick on the planet_, my subconscious reminded me.

She had changed her hair, I noticed. This morning her hair was long, thick and fell in gentle waves to her waist. Now it was straight, the same length but appeared more choppy than before and had thick bangs that reminded me of that _Call Me Maybe_ chick.

_Sexy_, I thought again to myself.

"Well, look what we have here. Is that them?" Jasper asked as he ran his eyes over the three women who were walking along the street in fits of laughter.

I didn't question how Jasper knew that these were the women stopping at my Grandma's house. Like every other small town on the planet everyone knew everyone in town. A stranger's face stood out a mile.

"Yeah it's them. The brunette is the one who I-"

"Assaulted," Jasper finished with a grin, but I noticed how his eyes lingered on Tinkerbell.

"Shut up," I growled as I watched them continue to walk down the street.

"Dude!" Jasper snapped.

I glanced back to see that I was about to run threw a crossing where two teenage boys were about to cross. I slammed my foot on the brakes and came to an abrupt stop.

"Jesus," I muttered as I silently apologized to the two boys who were waving me off and chuckling.

Jasper turned to me with a grin. "I'm guessing she made a better impression on you than you did on her."

I scowled at him. "I need a drink."

**BPOV**

"I can't believe we brought all this crap and wasted most of the day shopping," I muttered in disbelief as we placed our bags on my bed.

"Shopping, no matter the location, is never a waste of time, Bella. I thought we taught you better than that," she tutted as she dug through her bags to pull out a pair of jeans that she had fallen in love with.

"Why is all this crap on me bed?" I mumbled as Rosalie started to tear through her bags.

"Because your room was closer and my arms were about to drop off," she replied as she sprayed perfume on her wrist before dabbing it behind her ears.

We had returned to the Inn to fine Mary Elise frowning over a word jumble with Toddikins at her feet and deciding not to bother her, headed straight upstairs to get things packed away.

"I know I just made a really good dent in my credit card, but looking at this dress, I can't bring myself to regret it," Rosalie admitted as she held up an electric blue dress that brought out her eyes and her generous curves.

"Me too," I agreed as I dug into the bag where I had purchased five new supernatural romance books. Yes, not only did I write the genre, but I read it.

Alice laughed. "Why am I not surprised that you're more interested in the latest Christine Feehan novel than those cute little peep toe wedges you got?"

"Because you love me," I quipped as I opened to first page.

"No!" Rosalie barked as she ripped the book out of my hand.

"What the hell?!" I protested.

"No. If you start on that thing now then you'll not stop until you've finished and I want to go out tonight."

I rolled my eyes even though I knew she was right. "Then go without me."

"No," Alice snapped as she grabbed my books and held them to her chest. "You'll get these back later."

"What? No, I need them!" I insisted as I held my hand out to make a reach for them. Would have got them, too, if she wasn't so damn fast.

"Later," she growled.

Knowing when I was beat; I dropped my hand and sighed. "Where are we going?"

Rosalie grinned. "I think we should check out our favorite mechanics bar."

I couldn't help but smile at the thought of Emmett and his ripped body and the sexy cowboys that would be there. Tonight was suddenly looking up

**A/N**** So, what did you think? Love to read your reviews and see what you guys think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N I know long time no write, right? Huh, get it? Anyway, sorry, but life is a little more complicated than usual and add that with super bad writers block this has been unavoidable. Anywho won't keep you from the chapter that been long in the making. Enjoy!**

**BPOV**

After what seemed like hours of showering, choosing outfits and general beautifications we finally arrived at McCarty's. It was exactly as I expected, I thought with a grin as we entered the bar.

"Cool," Alice chirped from beside.

After long deliberation we decided to dress more casually tonight so instead of wearing the silver sequined dress that Alice had planned on wearing tonight she now wore skin tight jeans and a silver baby doll camisole top instead. It was sexy, sleek and casual and I decided that no one could pull it off like Alice.

Rosalie just looked down right sexy in my opinion. Hell, in anyone's opinion with a pulse. Her faux leather skinny jeans clung to her like a second skin and red silk blouse was mostly hidden underneath her cropped leather jacket. Her studded black boots kicked off her outfit and would make any biker chick weep in envy.

I was the only one who looked truly casual in my _Superman _t-shirt, cropped denim jacket, faded jeans and converse. The girls had gaped at me; it was our first night out in town after all. I calmly explained that I was going out for a drink and dancing, not walking down a runway in fashion week. Besides, no one could go wrong in a _Superman_ t-shirt.

"I still can't believe you're wearing that," Alice muttered as we made our way over to the bar through the crowd of people. It seemed it was a pretty busy night for McCarty's.

"We're here for a drink, Alice," I replied rolling my eyes.

"And what happens if you do run into some hot guy, huh? You could meet the man of your dreams tonight and he'll take one look at you in that t-shirt, jeans and sneakers and run in the opposite direction," she ranted as she hopped up on a bar stool.

I leaned my elbows on the bar and scanned the crowd. McCarty's was a nice place, I thought to myself. The walls were a warm green, the tables and booths a deep walnut color. The bar was the same color and had the mane McCarty's written across it. There was a huge flat screen television on the south wall that was currently playing a football game and a dance floor on the opposite side where a few brave souls were currently dancing along to Alan Jackson.

"If a guy runs away from a _Superman_ t-shirt then he's not the man of my dreams," I drawled with a grin. It wasn't a secret that guys were into comic book and superheroes turned me on. There was just something so... sexy about a geeky guy. Which kind of was opposite to my cowboy fantasy... I trailed off tipping my head to the side.

"What?" Rosalie asked as she leaned over the bar no so subtly trying to get the bartenders attention with her impressive cleavage. It worked, the young blonde haired bartender quickly made his way over with a flirtatious smile for Rosalie.

"What can I get for you, beautiful?" he asked in that southern drawl that could warm the coldest of nights for me.

Rosalie grinned. "You can get us three whiskey and cokes, please."

"Heavy on the coke," I added with a backward glance.

"Coming right up," he replied tapping the bar lightly with his hand with once last glance at Rosalie's chest.

"Put them away, Rosalie," Alice giggled.

Rosalie shrugged her delicate shoulders. "I have a gift."

"You have a good rack," Alice retorted, earning a droll stare from the beautiful blond.

"There you go ladies," the bartender said as he placed our drinks on the bar. "Enjoy," he added with a flirtatious wink for Rosalie.

"Keep the change," she replied as she placed a note on the bar top.

"If you're going to tip every bartender that winks at you you'll be bankrupt within a week," I teased her as I continued to scan the bar tapping my foot to the music.

Rosalie just shrugged her shoulders.

I was watching the two middle aged women laughing on the dance floor when a middle aged man's face blocked my view.

"Ma'am," he nodded with a smile that made me want to shudder.

He had to be in his mid-forties with glassy blue eyes, a greying beard and he stunk of alcohol so bad I had to wonder just how long he had been drinking. He was also wearing a huge white Stetson, a light blue denim shirt that showed the sweat marks under his arms and white jeans... that had fringe all the way down the sides.

"Hi," I replied weakly.

He seemed to take my horror as a compliment because he leaned in placing both hands on the bar behind me and effectively caging me in. Dear sweet baby Jesus.

"I couldn't help but notice you from across the room. Love the shirt," he muttered.

"Thank you," I replied wishing Kryptonite would work on him.

"Can I buy you a drink?" He asked with a toothy smile as he chewed on a toothpick. I didn't think people actually did that, but hey, you learn something new every day, right?

"I already I have one," I answered while thinking that the only drink I'd ever accept from him would be in a sealed can.

"That's a shame. Care to dance?"

I cringed away as he leaned in further and knew that the shape of the bar would forever be imprinted on my back.

"I'd really rather not," I responded and threw a glare at my friends as they giggled beside me.

"That's a shame," he repeated. "If you change your mind I'm right over there," he added pointing to a table in the corner.

"I'll keep that in mind," I promised knowing I would rather walk through fire that go anywhere near that table.

"Be sure that you do. Ladies," he nodded before pushing away from the bar and swaggered back to his friends who were cheering him on.

"I feel so dirty," I muttered.

"Oh, come on Bella, you met your cowboy!" Alice crowed.

"Yeah, I say go jump him and finally fulfill your sexy cowboy fantasy," Rosalie chuckled.

I turned to them with a glare. "Eat shit and die. Both of you."

Uncaring of my mood my friends continued to laugh at my expense. "Hey, you did say your dream guy would appreciate your shirt... and there he is!" Alice added pointing not so subtly over to the cowboys table.

"That is not my cowboy," I said firmly. "My cowboy with me sexy and handsome and kind and yet strong, you know? He will not be drunk and sweaty and chewing on a toothpick."

Rosalie shrugged. "Well, at least you always have a backup."

I just rolled my eyes and sat on one of the high barstools with my back to his table and hoped his attention would soon be swayed elsewhere. I glanced over to see him chatting to a woman in an extremely short skirt and knew I was a thing of the past. Strangely, I was kind of offended.

"That's it!" Alice exclaimed as she slammed her hand against the bar top.

"What the hell?" Rosalie demanded as she almost choked on her drink.

"Sorry," Alice responded absently as she searched for the bartender, waving her arm frantically to get his attention.

"What can I get for you now, ladies?" he grinned, obviously flattered by Alice's eager bid for his attention.

"Give us a round of tequila shots, hot stuff," she winked.

With a smirk the bartender got to work while Rosalie and I glared at the small woman beside us. "Tequila shots? Really?" I demanded.

"What? The last time we did shot's we had the best time!" She protested.

"The last time you did shot's we had to stop you from taking that valet guy home," Rosalie pointed out.

"Exactly," Alice responded with relish. "I am in the mood for a hot vacation fling, girls. It's been a long time since I had a bit of fun with the opposite sex."

"And tequila shots will help with this?" I asked trying to keep the grin from my face.

"Yes! If all the guys in here look like him," she pointed over to my future husband, "then I will need a lot of alcohol and nothing gets me drunk like tequila," she sang shrilly.

I shared a glance with Rosalie. What was the harm?

"Okay, let's do this," I laughed as the bartender placed three shot glasses, a vile of salt and three lime wedges in front of us.

"One. Two. Three!"

* * *

An hour later, after three more tequila shots and a few more rounds of whiskey and cokes, the three of us has lost all inhibitions and were now shaking it out on the dance floor singing and dancing along to Tim McGraw's _Southern Girl._

The tequila had done its job and we were all pretty plowed and happy about it. We were shaking our asses like we were professional dancers when we couldn't be farther away from that.

When a young man and woman headed out to the dance floor and danced completely off the beat. It reminded me sea weed, the floating way they moved their arms and legs and I suddenly thought of that _Friends _episode where the girls take a tap dancing class and Phoebe moved to her own music instead of following the teacher.

The couple was completely miss-matched, the woman tall, blond and almost painfully thin, while the man was short, heavier and had a mass of dark hair.

As they danced around us, Alice laughed. "What are they doing?"

Rosalie scrunched her nose adorably when the man danced by her, his hands brushing against her hips. "Watch those hands, buddy," she growled before turning to Alice. "My best guess is drugs."

I couldn't help but laugh at her dry response. I for one hoped that it was drugs that had gotten into them. If that was how they acted when they were _sober_ I dreaded to think what they would be like under the influence of narcotics.

The blond swayed over to Alice, placing her hand on Alice's tiny hip and encouraging her to dance with her, grinding against Alice's smaller body.

Rosalie and I turned to each other with wide eyes. Who was this girl?

One to never turn down a challenge, Alice grinded right back, matching the blond move for move and even throwing in a few of her own until the blond casually backed off, heading over towards her dark haired boyfriend where she practically showed her tongue down his throat and choked him with it.

I had read a magazine article when I was a teenager about a boy whose tucked was actually torn off because his girlfriend was sucking on it too hard. I thought that this would be one of those occasions where that happened. Poor guy, I thought with a wince as I turned back to the girls to dance.

It was about ten minutes later when the blond reappeared, pulling Alice towards her and her boyfriend. Worried about out friend, Rosalie began to warn the woman away when Alice held up her hand and turned back to us.

"I don't know what's wrong with the chick, but I'm not backing down!" She shouted over the music before going off with the blond.

"Dear sweet baby Jesus," I muttered as Alice became part of a grinding sandwich between the blond and her boyfriend.

I froze as the three swayed to the floor in unison before straightening up. As the tempo increased, so did their movements and it eventually became some sort of dance off between the women. The blond would do a sexy little move before giving Alice an almost challenging look in her glassy eyes. Alice would then proceed to one up her, adding her own twist of the Robot, Running man and pretty much any other eighties dance move that should have died out a long time ago.

That included the infamous Michael Jackson crotch grab and Moonwalk, I noted as Alice glided backwards across the floor earning a few cheers from the drunken men at the table behind her.

"Where does she learn these things?" I laughed.

Rosalie shook her head mournfully. "We should never have gotten her _Michael Jackson Dance_ for Christmas."

This went on for about three songs, Rosalie and I eventually getting bored and crashing down at the nearest empty table.

Finally, the girl smiled at Alice, applauding her, before disappearing out of the club with the short guy and hopefully never be seen again.

Alice on the other hand made her way over to us, gasping for air and muttering, "Inhaler, I need my inhaler!"

"Shit." I frantically searched through Alice's bag in search of her inhaler before Alice needed to go the emergency room.

"I can't breathe! I can't breathe!" Alice panicked as she fanned her hands frantically in front of her face in a bid to man some extra oxygen.

Alice had asthma and it was normally easy to treat, that was until she got involved in dance offs with high women and couldn't breathe for shit.

"You're welcome," I muttered sarcastically as she snatched it out of my hand and began puffing on the thing.

"I have no sympathy for you," Rosalie added. "What were you thinking?"

Alice glared at the both of us. "No one challenges me to a dance off and wins."

I grinned at her as I pointed out, "Alice, that girl was higher than a kite."

Alice made a non-committal sound. "That's neither here nor there."

"I have to go to the bathroom," Rosalie said as she abruptly got to her feet and made her away across the bar.

Alice frowned. "The bathrooms are that way," she said pointing in the opposite direction to where Rosalie had left.

My eyes darted to where Rosalie was moving like a bat out of hell across the bar and laughed. "I think the bathroom is the last thing on Rosalie's mind right now. Unless she intends to drag someone in there," I added wryly.

Emmett, clad in a tight shirt and even tighter jeans, was standing with his back to the bar like I had earlier and was all but undressing Rosalie with his eyes and she sashayed up to him.

"What a hussy," Alice growled before throwing her hands up in annoyance. "Great, that just great! Now I have to find another man to have a hot, sweaty fling with."

I rolled my eyes. "I hate it when that happens," I replied as I sipped my drink and trying not to laugh as Alice began to scan the bar for her next victim and Rosalie strutted up to Emmett like a woman on a mission.

**RPOV**

_Come to mama_, I thought with confidence as I strode up to the sexy hunk of a man leaning back against the bar. His dark eyes flickered over my body, lingering in the places he obviously liked.

Good.

"Well, hello there," he drawled with that sexy smile that made my stomach clench in a very nice way.

"Your here," I pointed out the obvious as I leaned against the bar next to him, noticing how his eyes darted to my breasts before meeting mine. They were dark and hot and held no secrets of what he wanted.

"You said you would be coming in and I had some free time. I normally meet the guys for a beer tonight," he shrugged casually while he gaze was anything but.

"That's nice," I nodded, not really caring. "Look, I'm going to be blunt here since I don't know how long we're actually going to be in town, so forgive me if I offend you."

He grinned. "No, please be as blunt as possible."

"Are you in a relationship?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I just got out of one."

Hmm, that could be a problem. "Do you intend to get back together?"

He laughed heartily this time. "No, she put me off relationships for a _long_ time," he replied and I could see his eyes focus on mine, watching intently. He obviously worried he'd just blew his chances. How wrong he was.

"Good," I answered honestly. "That will make things nice and simple."

"Will they now?"

I shook my head. "Look, I don't play games. I don't pretend to be the innocent virgin in need of seducing. I go after what and who I want, understand?"

If it was possible his grin widened. "Yes ma'am."

"Good," I repeated. "I'm here in town for a few weeks and as nice as it is, I'm going to need a little more excitement. Can you handle that?"

"I'm up for the challenge," he answered raising his hand to stroke his fingers down the line of my face.

I felt my breathe quicken and my heart pound at his light caress. "I told you seduction wasn't needed," I reminded him huskily. I couldn't help but feel trapped in his gaze. His eyes were so hot, so dark and everything I needed right now.

After months of working my ass off, of the stress of my last case, the repercussions that it included not only to my career, but from the families involved. I needed something fun, something hot and something to work out all the kinks.

Something told me that Emmett could work out those kinks.

That sexy smirk remained as his fingers traced my bottom lip. "A little seduction is always needed, Rosalie. It's not all about reaching that finish line. How about this? I told you I was meeting the guys but I could give them a call and we could go somewhere a little more quiet..." he trailed off.

I bit my lip against the temptation. Everything in me wanted to drag his fine ass out of here and show him how good that finish line could be, but I was still a female.

"Sorry, I'm here with the girls and we don't ditch each other. No matter how great the temptation might be.

"How about tomorrow?" he asked smoothly.

I lifted my eyes to the ceiling as if I was checking my plans, though we hadn't made any yet. He didn't need to know that the only plan's I had for tomorrow was getting him naked.

"I think that can be arranged."

His laugh was low and deep and full of promises. "Good. I'll pick you up around seven?"

I shook my head. "That's unnecessary. I can get myself there," I added firmly. As stupid as it may be I wanted to set some boundaries. We weren't going to be a couple and picking me up, dropping me off with a goodbye kiss... it screamed _couple_ in my mind.

He grinned. "How? You have no car," he pointed out smugly.

It was my turn to smirk. "Well, if the mechanic was any good it would have been done by now."

He just laughed at my swipe. "It just went to the top of the list. Trust me."

Doubtful.

"I'll meet you at the garage at seven. Try to be on time."

With that I turned and walked away without a second glance, heading back to my table where my friends wore big, shit eating grins.

"Bathrooms the other way," Alice pointed out in a smug whisper.

I grinned. "I know."

"Nice," they nodded appreciatively, checking out Emmett at the bar as he was joined by a tall hot guy with honey blond hair and a warm smile as he pulled Emmett into a man hug.

"I know."

**BPOV**

"I think I've found my new lover," Alice sighed as she dipped her nachos into the salsa. After another drink, and another dance, we had decided to head back to our table and grab some food. While Alice ordered her nachos and salsa, Rosalie and I shared a portion of onion rings. Due to said drinking and dancing we were all famished and devoured our first round and were now picking at our second.

My eyes widened as I bit into my onion ring. "What? Do you just decide this type of thing's when you get dressed in the morning? Yellow sundress or jeans and sneakers and who should I start having casual sex with?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "I would never decide to wear jeans and sneakers. I'm a fashion designer."

I grinned. "Oh, well that explains everything."

Rosalie laughed. "What about Emmett?"

Alice jabbed a nacho in Rosalie's direction and narrowed her eyes into dangerous slits. "He was mine until _you_ took him."

"You can't blame the man for having good taste, Allie," Rosalie retorted, ducking the nacho that came flying her way.

I turned back to Alice. "So was I right? Do you pick out that silver blouse thinking about getting some cute guy to slip it off for you?" I teased.

"You're not funny, Bella. Besides, it's not random," she protested.

"How can it not be?" I argued. "Up until half an hour ago you were all about banging Emmett."

While Rosalie bowled over laughing, Alice gave me a droll look. "Firstly, I resent the term 'banging'; it doesn't paint a very good mental image in my mind. Secondly, it's not random. You know me; I know certain things, especially about myself. I see a guy and I just know and I go after him. Until I get bored and move on," she laughed darkly.

I shook my head at my best friend. "Good luck with that one."

It was my turn to get a nacho threw at me. "Oh, shush you. I work hard, so hard in fact that I haven't had sex in six months! I think I should get to play a little. I am on vacation after all," she added seriously before flashing a wicked grin. "It wouldn't hurt you to get a lover," she waggled her eyebrows.

I couldn't help but laugh at her. "You're not my type, but thanks' for the offer."

"I'm serious! It would do you good to get some," she grinned. "Tell her, Rosalie."

Rosalie nodded her head. "You need to get laid, girl. I say take a leaf out of Alice's book and scan the bar. Find a guy you want to do the nasty with and have a little fun while you're in town. I intend to," she added as she watched Emmett stroll past us, throwing him a flirty wink which earned her a grin.

"Ladies," he nodded his head before disappearing into the bathrooms.

Alice got to her feet. "Take our advice, Bella. I know I am," she added before heading off towards the bar.

**APOV**

I leaned against the bar next to the hot specimen of a male beside me. I had seen him enter the bar and I had just known. I had forgotten all about Emmett and his enormous strength, instead attracted to the honey haired man with the quiet look in his blue eyes that I didn't quite understand but I wanted to find out.

He was tall, I realized as I stood next to him. I had thought him to be slender from across the bar, even a little gawky, but up close I realised that he had some muscles of his own his height just concealed it.

His skin was tanned and his light jeans fight him ever so nicely. So did the flannel shirt that he had rolled to his elbows. Again, I noticed how strong his arms were. They were arms made for wrapping around a woman and making her feel so feminine and fragile compared to the hardness of his.

Yes, I much preferred this man to Emmett and I knew myself enough to know I always get what I wanted. I wanted him.

"Hello there, handsome," I greeted flirtatiously.

His blue eyes met mine and I had the gratification of seeing his eyes widen as he took me in. I wasn't as confident as Rosalie, I doubted anyone was, but I knew a lot of men found me attractive and was honest enough to know why.

A lot of men said I reminded a sexy pixie, which I didn't mind. I would rather be compared to something magical than something mundane. Plus, pixies were pretty damn cute.

"Hi," he replied his voice thick with that Southern twang that Bella liked so much. I was starting to agree with her.

"Why don't you buy me a drink," I suggested huskily.

I wanted to frown when his eyes turned serious. Was he not attracted? This would be embarrassing, I thought if I hadn't done those tequila shots earlier.

"Look, you're a beautiful woman, but I don't want to lead you on. I don't do the whole 'relationship' thing," he said with air quotes and everything. "I've been there, done that. I found it wasn't my thing. I don't want to lead you on," he repeated.

I stood there in total silence for a moment before I started giggling furiously. The man in front of me looked at me as if I was insane and then, as I continued to laugh, his eyes darkened with irritation. Obviously he didn't like being laughed at.

Calling on every bit of control I had, I breathed deeply and fought down the giggles that wracked my body.

"Boy, you think a lot of yourself, don't you?" I demanded with a smile.

"What?" he snapped.

"Look...?" I trailed off questioningly.

"Jasper."

"Jasper," I repeated thinking that thought the name reminded me of a cat I once had, it suited him. "I'm Alice. Anyway, I came over here because I'm feeling hot tonight and a little bit drunk. You're looking hot tonight and though I can't ditch my friends, we have a code too," I added, "I thought maybe I could get the scoop on you and see if you would be interested in having a little fun while I'm in town. I didn't come over here with a bottle of chloroform, a gag and a minister waiting in my unmarked van waiting to cart you off."

Blue eyes frowned. "So you didn't come to town hoping for a romance? You don't think I'm going to be your Prince Charming and sweep you off your feet?"

I was very proud of the fact that I didn't burst into hysterical laughter once again. "Honey, I'll meet my Prince Charming at a lavish function where the best champagne with be being poured like water and there will be more diamonds then at _Tiffany's_. He'll be tall, dark and wearing an _Armani_ suit. Not a guy at a bar in the South wearing a flannel shirt and worn out jeans."

"Thanks," he drawled his voice thick with sarcasm.

I smiled. This was actually fun. Plus his little rant about not having relationships told me what I needed to know. He was single and intended on staying that way. Perfect.

Though his eyes were dark with anger, his cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. Good, he shouldn't think every woman was going to throw herself at his feet at the chance at being with him. Being taken down a peg or two would be good for him.

"Don't act all offended. You're the one who just tried to brush me off before you even knew while I was over here. Do you seriously think every woman wants to drag you up the aisle?"

Jasper remained quiet, his cheek's darkening and I knew, again, I had all the information I needed.

"Jesus," I muttered. "You're not my Prince Charming. Problem solved!" I added brightly before flipping over a beer matt and digging in my purse for the pen I never left home without. You never knew when inspiration would strike and it was always handy to have something to scribble it down with.

As I wrote my number on the matt I felt his eyes on me and decided I liked the feeling. "If you're interesting in having a little fun for a few weeks. No strings, no promises, no marriage licenses," I added with a chuckle. "Then give me a call."

Then, much like Rosalie had earlier, I walked away without a glance still enjoying the feeling of his eyes on me.

**BPOV**

"Well, that's two for two," I joked after Alice had taken her seat and filled us in.

"I can't wait to see how this plays out," Rosalie laughed. "Arrogant jackass."

Alice shrugged. "I have no real care if he's arrogant or not. I want some fun and something's telling me he's the guy to have it with. Oh, I haven't had a no string's attached fling since college. This is great," she clapped her hands.

I huffed. "Great for you. What about me? While you two are off having wild monkey sex I'm going to be strolling through the streets alone."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "You know we would never ditch you. It's just that whenever we have a moment or an itch..."

"We'll call the guys to scratch it," Alice finished. "Then we'll ditch them, stomping over their hearts as we leave, and come and play with you."

"When you both go home riddled with STD's do not blame me."

Alice scoffed. "I said I want fun, not the clap! I always use protection."

"Me too," Rosalie added. "So, you found someone, yet?"

It was my turn to scoff. "No, I haven't and I'm not looking."

"Come on, Bella-"

Rosalie's protest was cut off by my excited squeal. The music had changed from a slow, sad, country song to the sassy, sexy opening to _Fake ID_ and I jumped to my feet, dragging off my jacket.

"What are you doing?" Alice demanded.

"You have your fun and I have mine," I retorted. "Come on, this is my song! We have to go."

It took a few seconds, but I saw comprehension fill my friend's eyes. "Bella, we learned this song from a YouTube clip. We can't get up there!" Alice protested.

I scoffed. "The two of you just proposed to have sexual encounters with men you don't know and this is what you object to?"

Rosalie glared at me. "I know him. Alice is the slut who picked out a random guy in a bar."

Alice mad a sounded of offense. "I resent that. If I were a guy no one would think twice about what I just did, but because I'm a woman I should be branded a whore with no morals. Screw that, bitch."

Uncaring of their argument I clapped my hands. "That's the spirit. Screw other people and what they think. Now stay here or come with me, but I'm getting my ass out there and fulfilling my destiny!"

Before I could shove Alice's chair out of my way, she got to her feet. "Oh, come on, Rosalie. It took us hours to nail this; we might as well have some fun."

Rosalie looked around the bar before turning to us with a smile. "Fuck it. Let's have some fun."

With that the three of us headed out to the dance floor to show God, and everyone in the bar, what we were made of.

**EPOV**

"It's about damn time, Eddie!"

I could hear Emmett's booming voice from the doorway as I entered McCarty's bar. Over the years it had become a tradition with me and the guys to have a beer at the bar before I headed back into the city. It was our version of a guy's night, I supposed.

I strolled up to my friends, pulling up a stool on the bar and signaling for a beer. I looked forward to tonight more than I did than the most extravagant parties. It gave me a chance to have one last hang out with my buddies before I headed back to my hectic life in the city.

It also helped cheer me up. Every time I left for the city I had to say goodbye to my grandma, I had to see the sadness that she tried to hide. It killed me and made me feel lower than shit to upset the most important person in my life.

It had been Jasper's idea, saying that it would make me feel better. Jasper was practical and knew that my work was in the city and since I wasn't ready to hand over my business to anyone then I had to be there. Even if it did suck.

I frowned when I noticed that since Emmett's greeting my friends hadn't spoken a word, nor had the bartender got me that beer.

I turned to see them with their backs to the bar, the bartender leaning over the shiny surface with a look of pure lust in his eyes.

"What's going on?" I muttered.

"Look," Jasper whispered.

I turned to see the three women who were on the dance floor. It was the women from the Inn. _It her_, I thought as my eyes fixed on her.

The last time I had seen her she had been walking down the street with her friends laughing. She was laughing now but she was also shaking her ass to Big & Rich.

I smiled when I took in her outfit. While her friends were dressed like a rocker chick and a fashion forward princess, she was wearing tight jeans and a _Superman_ t-shirt. I liked _Superman_; I thought with a grin as they did some sort of turn move earning a cheer from the crowd of people that were gathering around the women to watch.

In unison the girls performed some sort of sexy line dance that I had never seen before. I was from the South so of course country line dancing was in my blood, but they were New Yorkers and yet they moved like they were professionals and it occurred to me that they could me. I didn't know who they were or what they did for a living. All I did know was that she looked beautiful out there.

While the blond moved sexy and sassily and the little brunette that Jasper was checking out moved with more energy than ten people had, she moved like the intricate footwork was as easy and as natural as breathing. Her face was a picture of joy as she laughed with her friends as they did this kind of stomp turn.

"They're amazing," Emmett chuckled as the blond threw him a wink.

"You in there, Emmett?" I teased never taking my eyes off of the woman wearing a super hero's shirt.

"Here's hoping," he grinned as he tapped his foot to the beat.

"These girls are awesome!" Amy, the bars new waitress laughed as she placed her tray on the bar.

"Yes they are," Josh, Emmett's younger cousin, replied as he watched the blond shake her ass on the dance floor.

Emmett caught the look in his eyes and scowled. "Shouldn't you be getting people drinks?" he demanded.

Josh just laughed. "Scared of a little competition, Emmett?"

Emmett rolled his eyes, muttering to himself as he turns back to the women.

Amy leaned next to me as she watched the women dance and sing along to the music. "It must have taken them so long," she giggled.

"What to do you mean?" I wondered.

Amy just laughed, her blue eyes filling with pity. "It's the line dancing routing from _Footloose_."

I frowned, scanning my mind for the line dancing scene. "There wasn't one," I argued.

Her jaw dropped. "Haven't you watched the remake?"

I scoffed. "Remakes suck."

She shook her head, her red hair brushing her shoulders. "Not this one. The music is better, the story line stronger and the chick that plays Ariel makes you feel for not, not want to make you bitch slap her like you did in the original."

"What?" I demanded incredulously.

Amy nodded. "It's true. Ariel was such a silly girl in the original and I hated her. In the remake you get that she's lost and struggling to find her way. It's beautiful."

Deciding that I would never understand women, I asked, "And what does this have to do with the dance they're doing?"

Amy waved her tanned arm towards the girls. "That is the routine, like step for step. They're awesome!"

I had to agree with that, I thought as the song finished and the girls shared a hug and the little one reached for her inhaler.

The music changed and people joined the women on the dance floor as Tim McGraw's _Felt good on my lips came on_. I noticed that none of us turned back to the bar like we normally did. Instead our eyes remained glued on the three sexy women that had obviously caught not only our attention, but the attention of every male in the bar.

There was something about her, I admitted as I watched her sing heartily along with my favorite artist. I noticed that while her friends danced, they didn't sing whether they didn't like the song or didn't know it, I didn't care. I just watched her.

I didn't even tried to hide my grin as she moved energetically to the beat and Emmett's uncle Michael, usually a miserable bastard, joined her on the dance floor and pulled her close and dancing along with her. I didn't blame the guy.

She was stunning, out on the dance floor, with her friends singing along with a bright smile on her face and a light in her eyes that drew me in as she moved to the beat. She just seemed so full of life and light and something about her drew me in.

I could admit to myself that though I had met, and even dated, many beautiful women over the years I had never seen anything as beautiful as her in that moment.

"Dude, you're drooling," Josh laughed.

"Shut up," I snapped as my friends turned to me.

"Isn't she the one you burned?" Jasper laughed.

"Yeah. I have such a way with the ladies," I drawled as Emmett laughed.

"Oh, Eddie, you're such an idiot. See the blond with her? I have a date with her tomorrow night."

Jasper raised his eyebrows and I saw his eyes flash to the tiny brunette but he didn't say anything as he sipped his beer.

"Well, it's not like I could ask her out even if I hadn't burned her," I shrugged not understanding why I felt such disappointment. Yes, she was beautiful but I didn't know her. Why did the thought of leaving fill me with disappointment?

"Too bad. She's hot," Josh commented, his attention shifting from the blond.

I had never had much of a jealous streak before, but I didn't like the way his eyes stared at her ass as she swayed her hips in those tight jeans. I didn't like it one fucking bit.

"I'll be right back," I muttered as I got to my feet and headed towards the exit it. The guys just nodded absently at my abrupt departure.

When I got out onto the sidewalk, I pulled out my cell phone and hit the speed dial.

"Hello?" A familiar voice greeted.

"Tanya? It's Edward. I need a favor."

**A/N**** So what did you think the favor was? Let me know in a review? To those who think that Alice and Rosalie might be acting a little on the slutty side... you should be ashamed. Girls can have fun too! **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**Sorry! There I'll say it before you can hurt me, which I would totally deserve. Work tripled my shift's, I've attended so many family functions its ridonkulous and I am currently organizing a hen party! Oh, and I have a cold. Suffice to say I have been busy and while I started this chapter a while ago, it's taken a while to be able to finish it.

Anyway, I hope you like it!

**BPOV**

"Wakey wakey eggs and bacey."

"Rot in hell," Alice growled as she rolled over, desperately trying to drown out my voice with her pillow.

"Rise and shine!" I sang, ripping the pillow from her tight grasp.

"No rise. No shine," she mumbled as she blindly searched for something to either cover her hears or kill me with.

It seemed I was the only one who wasn't suffering from a hangover, I thought with a grin as Rosalie lay face down next to Alice in the large bed.

Rosalie's wake up had included cursing, thrown pillows, cell phones and a shoe that she was still wearing underneath the thick quilt. It had actually gone well.

"Oh god, I'm dying," Rosalie groaned, her voice muffled through the mattress. "I knew drinking that pitcher of mojitos would be a bad idea."

I earned over to brush her hair away from her face, frowning that the sheen of perspiration that covered her skin as she fought to keep last night's drink's from making reappearance.

Her body jolted as she scoffed. "I wasn't about to let it go to waste! Why would you order a drink you didn't like?" she growled.

I shrugged my shoulders even though she couldn't see. "I read a lot of Karen Rose."

"What?" she snapped.

"In Karen Rose books some of the ladies have a mojito night and it sounded good so I wanted to try some."

It was a decision I instantly regretted after the first mouthful. Karen Rose had made then sound so yummy. She lied, I thought with a scowl.

"It tasted like mint sauce," Alice grumbled from underneath her pillow.

Rosalie gagged into the comforter. "Never say mint sauce, like ever," she added, heaving again because she'd said it. "Bad, bad decision," she whispered.

I couldn't help but nod in agreement. That was pretty much the worst drink I'd had in my entire life.

After drinking, dancing and checking out Alice and Rosalie's future lovers until that had left, we had decided that since none of us were driving it would be a good idea to get well and truly hammered. It was something that I knew we had accomplished when the elephants started tap dancing in my head this morning.

The hangover was worth it, though. We danced with pretty much every man in the place, and even a few women, we did more shots and then decided to move onto pitchers when it was becoming a hassle to stumble to the bar and back.

When the bartender had asked us how many glasses we would like to go without 'Woo woo' cocktails we had burst into a fit of giggles and drunkenly explained that we weren't that classy and to just drop a straw in the pitcher. It was especially funny when he explained that we couldn't have another pitcher without throwing out the Mojitos, something Rosalie flat out refused to do, because the bar only owned three pitchers and we currently had them.

I was drinking out of glasses for the rest of the night.

At the end of the night Alice had stumbled to the bar and asked a young man named Mark if he would like to buy her a drink. He had laughed, claimed he wasn't that easy and then offered to call her a taxi home.

Alice had vowed on the spot that if things didn't work out with the hot blond cowboy, she was beyond remembering his name at this point, and then she would hook up with Mark. He had said that maybe his girlfriend Amanda wouldn't appreciate that before helping Alice back to our table and heading home while Alice plotted how to break them up.

It was the cute bartender, Josh or something, was the one who hauled the three of us onto the street and poured us into a cab while the three of us belted out the theme tune to One Tree Hill.

Drunk, but not drunk enough to forget that Mary Elise would be sound asleep, we had sneaked into the house, hissing for Toddikins to be quiet when he came bounding over to us. One by one we had crawled up the stairs, Toddikins by our side, and made our way into our rooms.

I had fell face first onto the bed, arms and legs splayed out like a star fish and that's how I had woken up.

"Come on, Alice, get up," I ordered. "Mary Elise is making breakfast," I added in a sing song voice trying to tempt my friend into getting her hung over ass out of bed.

"I don't want breakfast," Alice snapped.

When Alice's phone began to vibrate on the bed side table, I snatched it up and smiled as I read her text message.

"Well, if you won't wake up for Mary Elise's scrambled eggs, maybe you'll wake up for Jasper Whitlock."

Alice's head shot up so fast I worried she'd given herself whiplash. In half of a second she was sitting up in bed, pain filled her eyes but now they were wide and alert.

"Give me the phone," she ordered quietly.

With a cheerful smile I got to my feet, earning a growl from Rosalie when my knee knocked her. "You mean this phone? Why? Do you want to read the text message he sent you?"

"Bella," she warned. "Give me the phone."

"Get your ass out of bed," I countered.

With a huff she replied, "Fine. I'm up. I'm coming to get breakfast even though there it feels like I've been brained by a clog. Now give me the phone."

"Nope," I giggled, darting away from her when she went to make a grab for me. I was lucky she was pretty sluggish; otherwise I would probably have been on the bed with Alice tearing my hair out by now.

"Does the class want to know what Alice's future booty call was texting at 9am in the morning?" I laughed.

"It's 9am?" Rosalie demanded incredulously, lifting her head up to glare at me. "What the fuck is wrong with you? I thought it was at least noon."

"Times a'waistin'," I drawled. When Rosalie continued to glare at me I added, "Look, we're on vacation. I don't want to spend it all day in bed. Besides, it looks like the two of you will be spending enough time in bed with you boy toys."

That earned me a smile. "Bella," Alice snapped. "If you're going to read my messages, read the fucker out loud."

"Oh," I had forgotten about the phone in my hand. Putting on my best guy voice I read her text message, per her eloquent request, out loud. "Alice, I've been thinking over what you said last night and I think 'No strings, no promises and no marriage license' sound's pretty good to me. How about I pick you up tonight? Jasper Whitlock." I turned to Alice with wide eyes. "That's how you propositioned him? Seriously?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Please, the man thought I was going to go all _Misery_ on his ass. I just want to get my hand on that body of his, not drag his ass down the aisle." She turned to us with a shit eating grin. "And it looks like I'm going to get my way," she clapped her hands before swinging her feet over the side of the bed. "I feel much better now! I'm going to go grab a quick shower before breakfast."

I held out her phone. "What about your man toy? Shouldn't you call him back and tell him you intend to have your nasty way with him tonight? Get him prepared for the hot candle wax and nipple clamps," I teased.

Alice shrugged her shoulders. "He can wait a little longer. And trust me, candle wax or no, tonight his world will be rocked," she added with an air punch before skipping out of the room singing 'I'm going to have sex tonight!'

Rosalie yawned. "I'm having sex tonight and even I'm not that excited."

I strolled over to pat her head gently. "It's because of the Mojitos."

Rosalie pouted and nodded her head. "Fucking Mojitos."

* * *

After showering, dressing and convincing Alice and Rosalie that a nice walk would do the three of us wonders, we headed into the kitchen where Mary Elise stood whispering into her cell phone.

"I know, Luke, I don't like it either but... It's just how things are," she shrugged. "I'll miss you too," she smiled.

Mary Elise placed the phone down on the side, brushing her hands on her sweat pants before turning around and realising she had an audience.

Her cheek turning bright red, she smiled. "Ladies, how long have you been standing there?"

Rosalie smirked. "Long enough to know that Luke isn't too happy, but will miss you. Who is Luke?"

Mary Elise rolled her eyes before turning back to stove. "Luke is... My lover," she shrugged unable to think of a better word.

Alice skipped over to sit on the bar stool. "Good for you!"

The older woman laughed. "Not really. Luke and I have been friends for years. We knew each other in school and were good friends, nothing romantic," she rushed to add. "I had a boyfriend, he had a girlfriend, few years after school was out we'd both married and years down the line we're both widowers." She turned to us with a sad smile. "I loved my husband more than my own breath, but it's been lonely out here by myself. It was different when Edward was younger and he needed me, but since he moved into the city..."

Rosalie moved to Mary Elise with a frown. "Hey, you don't have to explain anything."

She laughed in return as she wrapped her frail arm around Rosalie waist. "Oh, I wish I didn't feel that way. About five years ago we came together, a bit of company," she shrugged. "I do care for him, but not the way I know I'm capable of."

I smiled. "Hey, if Luke makes you happy then that's all that matters, right? So, why is he _unhappy_?" I asked as I sat next to Alice at the counter.

She rolled her eyes. "It sounds too juvenile, but he wants to go public."

I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. It did sound like something a teenager would say, but I guess that's what relationships did, they turned you into a kid again.

"And you don't want to?" Rosalie asked as she helped scramble the eggs.

Mary Elise frowned. "I don't care either way. I just know that Edward wouldn't like it and I don't want to upset him."

Alice leaned forward. "Edward is a big boy and he loves you. He may find it strange at first, but he'll just want you to be happy."

"I hope so," she muttered before flashing us a bright smile. "Anyway, do you ladies feel like shit this morning?"

I nodded my head. "Complete and utter shit," I replied cheerfully. "I was actually going to ask if I could use something's from the kitchen to make up a picnic basket. It's meant to be nice today so I thought a nice stroll and a picnic sounded fun."

She beamed. "It does! There are some beautiful places you can go to. If you follow the trails through the woods it leads to the most beautiful meadow. I used to go there all the time as a teenager to make out," she winked.

Rosalie grinned. "Mary Elise, you little hussy. I think we will become great friends. Hey, why don't you come with us? I mean, since Bella's dragging us through the woods by the sounds of it, it will be much better to have someone there in case we get lost and have to resort to cannibalism to survive."

"I say we eat Bella first," Alice added.

I rolled my eyes. "We will not get lost, we will not resort to cannibalism and I will not be eaten first. It will be fun though, why don't you come?"

Mary Elise pouted. "I'd love to, but I have a book club meeting in town today and I actually read the damn thing this time. Maybe we can organize it for another day?"

Alice beamed. "That's awesome. Now, Bella, why don't you get the picnic basket together why the three of us have breakfast out on the porch? You know, since this why your idea," she added as she hopped down from the stool.

"Of course," I muttered glaring daggers at my friends.

* * *

It turned out to be a really nice day. The sky was a cloudless blue, the breeze was warm and the sun shined down. It would have been perfect if it hadn't been one of the hottest days in over eight years.

The girls and I made our way through the woods, following the clear trail until Alice had seen some purple flowers and insisted on gathering more for Mary Elise as a thank you for taking such good care of us.

Within ten minutes the three of us had strayed so far into the woods that we had lost the trail and had been walking round in circles for the last half hour in an attempt to find not only the trail that would take us back to civilization, but to the pretty wicker picnic basket that Mary Elise had made us before some wild animal took off with it.

"Can this day get any worse?" Rosalie growled. "I was supposed to be having a nice relaxing picnic before getting ready for my hot night of sweaty, dirty sex with Emmett, but nooo! Here I am, hot and sweaty and lost in the freaking woods!"

It was the third rant she'd given in the last ten minutes and Alice and I had chosen to ignore her. We were all hot and sweat and irritated, but it was only Rosalie who felt the need to vocalize it. Frequently.

"It's so hot," she groaned as she lifted her golden hair into a pony in an attempt to get some air to the back of her neck.

I couldn't help the annoyed huff that escaped me. "It's not that bad," I insisted even though I knew I was lying. We were women who were used to air conditioned summers in the city. Or the sea breeze if we travelled Hamptons. Not out in the middle of the woods in the South.

"I'm hung over, boiling hot and being eating alive by these fuckin' creature's!" she screamed as she slammed at the insects that seemed to be attracted to Rosalie exclusively.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. The flying insects seemed to ignore Alice and me completely while Rosalie had been slapping at her arms since we entered the woods.

"Why don't you think of it as if were on a hike through the jungles in Peru?" I suggested with a smirk. "You always wanted travel and adventure," I added with a giggle.

Rosalie actually snarled at me. "But we're not in Peru, Bella. No, your dragging my ass through the stick's in Georgia."

"That's highly offensive to the people who live here," Alice chirped from beside us. "Especially, since your future lover is from the 'sticks in Georgia'," Alice drawled in her best impression of _Scarlett O'Hara_.

"Your so fucking hilarious, Alice," she growled. "Ow!"

Alice chuckled as Rosalie rubbed at the new bite on her arm. "It serves's you right for wearing that fruity body lotion."

"Shut. Up."

Alice shrugged her dainty shoulders casually. "Fine."

For the next few minutes we walked in silence. Rosalie muttered cuss words under her breath while Alice and I tried valiantly not to laugh. Our little adventure had certainly been a lot harder on Rosalie than the two of us.

"God, I'm hotter than a whore in hell," Rosalie muttered unable to suffer in silence.

Alice huffed. "Again, that's very offensive. Who says that prostitutes go to hell? It's their body, right? If they can get somebody to pay to have sex with them, more power to them!"

Rosalie rolled her eyes dramatically at Alice's speech. "It's an expression, Alice."

"It's a stupid expression," she retorted.

"Why don't you try 'Hotter than a two bit whore'," I offered helpfully. "I read that in one of Dorothy Garlock's books. I don't know whether it's a compliment or not, though," I muttered with a frown. What the hell did that actually mean?

Alice scoffed. "That's not much better."

"It's better than saying they're going to go to hell!" I argued.

"Girls!" Rosalie snapped. "This is the most stupid argument that we've ever had and I have to admit that we've had a few."

"It's only because I'm winning," Alice quipped before skipping ahead of us to gather more of the flower's that had gotten us into this mess.

"Bitch," we muttered in unison when Alice was out of sight.

It was then that a gunshot sounded and Alice's scream stopped out hearts.

* * *

Rosalie and I shared a frantic glance before bolting through the forest in search of Alice. I didn't think, couldn't think. The only thing that mattered was finding Alice. It all happened so fast that I couldn't even give thought to the possibility that my friend was hurt.

Within seconds that felt like hours, we reached Alice who continued to scream.

"I've been shot!"

"Where? Where!" Rosalie shouted as she ran her hands over Alice's body in search of a bullet wound.

"I've been shot!" She continued to yell.

As Alice continued shout, Rosalie and I shared a look. Alice didn't have a mark on her.

It was Rosalie who recovered first. "You fucking retard. You scared the shit out of us!"

Deciding that yelling at our hysterical friend probably wasn't the best way to go, I placed my hands on Alice's face and forced to her look at me. "Alice, you need to calm down. You haven't been shot," I spoke slowly and clearly. How the hell she thought she was shot I'll never know.

After a couple of second's reason came into her eyes and she nodded her head. "I heard the gun ring out and I thought..." she trailed off, her cheeks beginning to redden.

Rosalie scoffed. "Trust me, if you've been shot by a gun you'd know about it. You're just an idiot."

"Shut up, Rosalie." She snapped back.

"Shut the both of you," I interrupted before a full on argument could begin. The experience had scared everyone and we were all a little edgy as we came down from our adrenaline high.

Alice was the first to speak. "I'm sorry. I over reacted. In my defense, I've never heard a gun before and I panicked." She shrugged and I knew that was the only apology we would be getting from her.

"It's okay," I patted her shoulder. "It could have been any one of us that reacted that way."

Rosalie huffed. "But it usually happens to Alice. Okay, forgetting all of this we should probably acknowledge to fact that someone's in the woods with us. And it's got a gun."

I felt my heart sink into my stomach. With all the drama that had happened between the gun being shot and Alice declaring that she was currently sporting a bullet wound, I hadn't considered where the gun had come from and what type of person owned it.

"Oh holy shit," Rosalie muttered as we heard pounding footsteps coming our way.

Before any of us could think to run a man in his mid-fifties came charging towards us and I thought 'This is it! This is how I die.' I had to admit I had hoped it would be something cool, like having a heart attack during sex with my much younger lover in my eighties, but what are you going to do?

"Are y'all alright?" The man demanded with a strong accent.

He was a little taller than Rosalie, with a thick bushy beard, dark eyes and apart from the florescent orange jacket, completely decked out in camouflage.

Not that I think any of us noticed that. The only thing our eyes seemed to truly take in was the big ass rifle in his hands and the string of dead woodlands creatures that trailed behind him.

_Dear sweet baby Jesus_, I thought.

The man didn't seem to realize why three women stood frozen in front of him. "You have to be careful out here. Its hunting' season and you girls are out in the middle. You're lucky none of you are shot," he reprimanded us.

"We're sorry," Alice stammered, her eyes never leaving the dead rabbit that seemed to be looking at us with cold, dead eyes. "We got lost and couldn't find the trail."

The stern glare left his face, replacing it with a friendly smile. "Well, there I can help you ladies. I can lead you back, if you'd like," he offered, switching his weapon from one shoulder to the other.

The three of us shared a glance that spoke volumes. None of us wanted to be around this man for longer than necessary.

"That would be nice," Rosalie replied politely.

"Follow me," he said as he walked on, leaving the three of us to follow the trail of _Thumpers._

"So, which of you screamed?" he asked conversationally. He either didn't notice our fear, or pretended not to.

"Oh, that was Alice," I rushed out, earning a glare from the woman in question.

Alice tried to her best to give a casual laugh. "Yeah, you scared me there for a minute. No biggie," she shrugged, keeping her eyes forward.

"Well, that's good. I thought I might have hit one of you," he chuckled deeply.

We all gave a nervous laugh as we continued to follow him until he brought us back to the trail.

"Well, here we are ladies. Try and be careful when you're out in the woods. You're in the South now," he added with a grin as he tipped his hat and walked back into the trees and out of sight.

When we could no longer see or hear him, we all let out a laugh of relief.

"Oh my god, I thought we'd die for sure," Alice giggled.

"Can we please leave this hell hole?" I begged through my giggles.

"No, we have to find Mary Elise's picnic basket," Alice pointed out.

"Okay, let's track down the basket and then leave and never, ever, ever come back," Rosalie stressed.

"You know she's serious when she Taylor Swift's it," I teased.

* * *

Later that evening, I sat on the back porch alone and enjoying it.

Alice and Rosalie had returned home, eager to start their long and detailed preparation for their night ahead with the guys. Also known as booty calls. Alice had taken to calling them 'Lovers' in a thick Russian accent, which was not annoying at all.

Since I had decided to spend my evening at the Inn Rosalie had given me back the books she had confiscated. As thanks I had helped with their preparation. I had blown dried hair, curled, straightened, and gave my opinions on outfits... and the lingerie that would be worn under them.

I had also been the one to come up with a plan in case the cute guys that they thought they were turned out to be psychotic freaks.

I was to call at the hour mark in case they wanted to bail. If not I was to text throughout the night. If the phone doesn't receive my text's that means that they have switched their phones of because they don't want to be interrupted while getting jiggy with it.

If my text does deliver and I have no response within twenty minutes I was to call the cops. The GPS on the girl's phone had been turned on in an effort to keep them from being chopped to pieces in the woods.

On their way out, they had both demanded multiple times whether or not I was truly okay with them leaving for the night, if not they would stay in.

I looked into their eyes and knew that if I said I wanted them to stay that they would. They would call the guys and we'd stay together and they wouldn't resent me for it. So how could I ask them to stay and ruin their night when they would do that for me?

Also, I kind of wanted a break from them. Unlike Alice and Rosalie, the thought of a night in drinking hot chocolate and diving into a romance novel was my idea of the perfect night.

Alice had always teased that I would be a footballs fan dreams. While they watched the game, would I moan and bitch, no I'd sit there with a book until long after the game had finished and they were in bed.

So, we I had told them to go saying that tomorrow would be fun enough. I had found out that a theme park wasn't too far a drive away and was open till late. While I wasn't one for rides, Alice and Rosalie loved them so I thought it would make up for our failed picnic.

With bright, eager smiles, they had hugged me tightly before leaving for the night. Hopefully.

Mary Elise had also left for the night and I knew that Luke would be a very happy man tonight, I thought with a smile.

Engrossed in my current Anna Windsor novel, I absently picked up my hot chocolate and winced. Nothing was worse than cold hot chocolate.

Using a torn piece of paper as a book mark I settled my book on the small table and got to my feet. I couldn't help the wince as my bare skin peeled off the chair. It was my own fault for sitting out there for so long.

Stepping into the kitchen I also screamed when I saw the male figure standing there.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

I glared at Edward, wondering what he was doing here. He was supposed to have left last night. Why was he here? Had he come back earlier and Mary Elise had forgotten to tell us or had she simple not told us? Not that she had to it been her home, but still after everything I would have appreciated a little warning.

This was going to be awkward.

**EPOV**

It was obvious that my grandma had forgotten to tell her I would be here, I thought as I looked at a glaring Bella as she gasped for breath.

Last night I had called Tanya to let her know that I would be spending the next couple of weeks working from home. At first she had been shocked; I had never done that before. After that she was worried for my grandma, wondering whether her health was okay. I had assured her everyone was fine, that I just wanted to stay home.

To say she was confused by my decision would be an understatement, but then again so was I. I couldn't truly explain why I had decided to stay in town when normally I would be in the city by now no matter what. I just knew that I wanted to stay so I was.

Of course Id had to go into the city today to get everything sorted out for me to take time off. If you run multiple successful companies, you couldn't just take time off the way I was doing without some organization. Luckily for me Tanya was eager for the challenge and waved me off with a bright smile.

I had thought when I finally got home to enjoy a night with the guys, but they had told me that they had company and all but shoved me out their doors.

Being ditched for a chick... That broke the code, I thought with a grin. Emmett and Jasper and just laughed and accused me of being jealous, completely uncaring that they were choosing a night with a woman over their oldest friend.

I probably would have done the same.

I had come home to find the house empty, a note from my grandma saying she would be back late and that she was playing cards with some friends. So my plan had been to get some food and hang out in front of the television.

That's when a very lovely looking Bella had walked in and my presence had scared the living crap out of her.

It helped that I had come to the conclusion that I wanted to get to know this woman. While she stood there with a glare on her face, looking slightly nervous and uncomfortable up at me. I felt a lot better.

"Nothing's wrong with me," I smiled slightly.

She huffed, sending her bangs flying adorably. "That's debatable. I thought you'd gone home," she mumbled and I wondered whether she spoke to herself or to me. She seemed to realize what she had said because she started to stammer.

"I mean- Well, you grandma said-" she huffed again, but this time in annoyance with herself before trying again. "She told us that you went home during the week."

I smiled. Adorable.

"I thought I'd spend some time at home," I shrugged casually.

It was the wrong thing to say, though I didn't know why because her eyes narrowed into slits and when she spoke again, you could have cut her tone with a knife.

"Why? Were you afraid that we were going to get out the whips and work her into her grave? What is wrong with you?" she demanded angrily before storming out onto the back porch.

Groaning, I followed her outside. She paced back and forth, her cutoff jeans showing beautiful shapely legs and I had to remind myself that I was already in enough trouble without gawking at her.

"Why can I never win without?" I demanded. "I have known you for little over two days and yet every time we meet I seem to offend you in some way."

"And that's my fault?" She snapped.

"See?" I demanded. "Right there, you jump down my throat and expect the worse."

"It's because you've only ever shown me your worst," she all but yelled.

The thing was, her reminded me of my mother and grandma. It was the strike between anger and truth.

She was right, I knew. I had done nothing but show her the worst of myself since the second we bumped into each other when I had yelled at her for being clumsy and yet she had stood there covered in coffee and ready to apologize to me.

Dammit, she was right.

I sighed. "I'm sorry," I said sincerely. "I know I have made quite possibly the worst first impression in history with you."

She smiled slightly. "And second and third," she interrupted.

I couldn't help but chuckle while relief flowed through me. If she was teasing me, then she hadn't written me off completely. I didn't let myself wonder why that seemed so important to me.

"I know and I'm sorry. I didn't stay here because I thought that you and your friends would work my grandma into the ground, she's actually really taken with the three of you."

She seemed to soften a little. "We're taken with her. She's a lovely woman."

I smiled. "Thank you. I want to apologize for everything. I was in a bad mood, partly because I expected the three women that were coming to town was going to stress out my grandma and potentially damage her health. Also, I had to go into work, which means spending less time with her. I was angry and took out on you and that's unforgivable. I have been nothing but rude to you and you haven't deserved it. I am truly sorry."

Bella seemed to watch for a long time, obviously judging whether I was sincere or just trying placating her.

After what seemed forever, she spoke. "Well, I guess we can try again. It would be a lot easier if we weren't at each other's throats while I'm here."

I left out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

She nodded with a smile. "So, what are you doing tonight?" She asked and I knew she was trying to give me that chance.

I grinned. "Well, I thought I'd spend the night with the guys, but they ditched me for the opposite sex."

Bella seemed to find what Id said funny. "I know the feeling. Well, I was just reading, but we could do something together if you'd like. I don't know what..." she trailed off.

"Well, what would you like to do?" I asked eager to keep her happy.

She shrugged her shoulders and I tried to not let my attention slide to her generous breasts. I was trying to befriend her, not get charged sexual assault.

"I was actually interested in finding this meadow that Mary Elise was telling us about. Apparently she used it as a make out point when she was a teenager," she smiled.

I winced. Yes, I knew all about that meadow. "I could take you there if you'd like."

She frowned. "Won't we get lost? It'll be dark soon and besides I haven't had the best experience in those woods..." she trailed off.

I smiled reassuringly. "I spent most of my childhood in there. I know the way to the meadow blind folded." It was true that I had gone there a lot. It had been where my parents had met. "I won't let you get lost," I promised.

Again, she seemed to judge whether or not I was telling the truth before shrugging her shoulders. "Why not?"

"Come on then," I grinned and closed the back door. It was one of those small towns where you didn't have to worry about getting robbed blind so I didn't bother to lock up.

As we made our way across the back yard and headed towards the short cut I had discovered to the meadow when I was younger, Bella turned to me and asked, "What do you know about hunting?"

**A/N** So, what do you think? It's far from a friendship but they are both trying. Let me know what you think in a review!

And seriously what does Hotter than a two bit whore really mean?


End file.
